Underestimated
by The Knife Throwing Expert
Summary: Sexy. Dumb. Ridiculous name. These are the words people say about the usual district one female tribute. But all of that is going to change in the 61st Hunger Games. I'm going to show everyone that underneath this pretty face is a killer who won't hesitate to deliver the deathblow. When I win, they're going to regret underestimating me.
1. The Day Before The Reaping

**Hello there reader! Thank you for checking my story out. **

**Katniss herself has said that you shouldn't underestimate _and _overestimate your opponents. I created this story to emphasize this. One good example is Rue, she may have died but she made it through the games by staying off the ground and eating edible plants. **

**I have chosen a district one female as the main character because most people just think that female tributes from one only know how to be sexy, but have no brains. If you are one of those who strongly believe in that, let my main character, Amethine, change your mind.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games nor the characters of the trilogy. **

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_Beep. Beep. Beep._

As much as I try my best to ignore my pink, annoying alarm clock I sit up and turn it off. I look around my huge, blood red-painted room that I won't probably see for another month. I rub my eyes and plan on going back to sleep until I hear my sixteen year old sister Amethyst yell:

"Amethine! Get your butt out of bed, we have to get to the training center in an hour!"

Both of us have started training at the age of six. Amethyst is lethal with throwing knives and I'm excellent with spears.

Everyday we walk a quarter-mile to the training center to prepare for the games. Amethyst drags me out of bed in the early hours of the morning because she wants to get to the training center early and be the first one at her favorite station and warm up with her knives, she eve threatens me whenever I don't get out of bed quickly. Although I'm bigger, older and stronger than her I usually don't do anything because she won't stand a chance against me.

I'm the complete opposite about what time we should leave for the training center. I don't like being late to training either, but I'm not the very early type of person as well. I like leaving my house at 8:50 because training starts at 9:20, but Amethyst prefers leaving before 8:30.

I get out of my queen size bed and make it neat so I don't have to hear my mother complain again about how I'm so lazy when it comes to organizing things, but I'm energetic when it comes to wielding weapons. My mom motivates us to do well in training, but I know she doesn't agree with the whole make-your-child-a-killer thing.

I walk over to my bathroom and open the door. I take off my grey sweatpants and comfortable forest green t-shirt and throw it on my red and black linoleum- tiled bathroom floor. I let my hair down and climb into the shower. Forty minutes later I get out and wrap my toned, fit body in a towel.

I pick the clothes off the floor and walk outside to put them in the basket near my bed. I tread over to my huge closet and take out what I'm going to wear to training when I hear Amethyst scream: "Amethine, I swear if you're not ready in 20 minutes I'm leaving without you!"

"Go ahead! I'll walk to the training center by myself!" I yell back. I grin when I hear her stomp angrily downstairs. Amethyst doesn't like walking to the training center alone. Near the training center, there's an abandon house where a bunch of old, creepy guys hang around all the time. I don't know why, but here in district 1 we call them 'moches'.

What I'm wearing to training is the gray and red jump suit that is provided to everyone trainee, it is mandatory to wear it. When I put everything on I brush my long, blonde hair into a high ponytail then slip on my black combat boots. I'm about to walk out of my room when I remember something. I open the drawer next to my bed and get out the pair of black fingerless gloves that I always wear for training.

I walk downstairs and see a grouchy Amethyst sitting on the couch sneering at me. I flash a big smile at her. I also see my six year old twin brothers helping themselves to some oatmeal my mom made.

To me, Garnet and Geode are completely different. Geode along with Amethyst inherited my father's ashy brown hair, while Garnet and I got our mother's blonde hair. The only feature that all of us have in common is our father's light blue-green eyes.

Besides their hair color everything was pretty much the same with my little twin brothers. Except their personalities. Geode is more of a fiery person, he's very talkative and hyper. When he gets mad all hell breaks loose, but when he's calm it's like mockingjay birds are singing a peaceful melody. Garnet is very laid back and usually quiet, he only speaks when spoken too but talks more at home. When he's mad he only holds a grudge for about two weeks and when he's happy, he smiles alot.

Then there's my little sister Amethyst. Although she's sixteen years old, I still call her little despite her disliking of it. She hates being told she's wrong, like one time when I told her she got a math problem wrong and she got all ballistic. Amethyst has a group of friends who only care about training, the games, and boys. We both agreed that I will be volunteering this year because it's my last year and from what my dad says I've become 'deadly' with spears. After you've witnessed me throwing a spear, I predict that you'll being saying the same thing.

"There you are dear. I was scared that Amethyst was going to lose her voice screaming for you to get ready" I turn around and see my mother putting something back in the fridge.

My mom's three inches shorter than me. I'm 5'7 and she's 5'4, she has shoulder-length blonde hair and light blue eyes. My mother's not really old, she's only 35 years old and doesn't have wrinkles and when I tell her this she usually thanks me and giggles shyly. My mother is a very quiet and caring woman. Her gentle nature draws people, mostly little kids, to her and most look up to her as their very own mother. When you're a child you love the attention your parents give you. The way they take care of you and give you every thing you desired was amazing, but I'm eighteen years old now and sometimes I find my mother's nurturing ways annoying.

"I wouldn't mind if Amethyst lost her voice, I mean I could probably have some peace for at least one day." I say, smirking at my sister. She glares at me for a moment then sticks her tongue out at me like a little kid.

"Real mature" I say.

My mom gives me that 'Don't Start' look. I stop teasing.

Geode and Garnet leave the kitchen to go and take a shower. I wrap my right hand around the handle of the refrigerator and pull it open to get an orange to eat for breakfast.

"That's all you're going to eat? Honey, you should eat some of the apple cinnamon oatmeal I've made." my mother tells me as if I was still a little child.

"It's okay, I don't really feel like eating a lot."I try to hide the annoyed tone in my voice. I don't want to hurt her feelings.

"Just eat it so we can get to training center!" Amethyst exclaims out of nowhere.

"Shut up. The more you rush me, the slower I move." I pretend to peel my orange in slow motion. This causes Amethyst to grunt and stomp off to her room.

When she leaves, I peel the orange faster and start stuffing them into my mouth. When I'm done I throw all the orange peels away in the trashcan and pour myself a glass of water. After gulping everything down, I put my cup in the sink and call Amethyst.

We say goodbye to our brothers and mother then get out of the house. We walk down the street full of big houses that belong to many wealthy other people. In district 1, there are two sections: Belle and Vilain.

The Belle section is the wealthy part of district 1. In the Belle area, there are many jewelry shops because our district produces the luxury items for the Capitol, that's why we're one of the wealthy districts. You'll find a lot of busy roads but luckily for my sister and I we don't have to pass through any of them to get to the district training center. Most people who live in the Belle section work in jewelry shops or departments stores.

In the jewelry shops, you'll find dazzling accessories encrusted with many lovely gemstones (which are all real ofcourse). In the Belle section, there are a ton of stores that sell things from jewelry and dresses to toilet paper and eggs.

The department stores here are really all about fashion. There are some stores that have a whacky type of fashion, things a Capitol citizen would wear. Other stores suit other type of styles, the opposite of many Capitol citizens' taste. Sometimes my mother would buy our reaping outfits from a department store when she doesn't have time to make them herself.

The Vilain section is the poor part of district 1. In the Vilain section, there are barely any concrete pavements. There are more dirt roads than there are cement sidewalks. The houses are made out of wood and are really old, they were even built so close together. Most people who live in the Vilain section work in mines that contain diamonds, gold, and many more other precious gemstones, even the ones that my siblings and I were named after.

"Is dad working today?" Amethyst asks as we walk through our neighborhood.

"Yeah I think so, I didn't see him this morning." I answer, kicking a rock that's in my way.

Our dad isn't home sometimes because he owns three of the biggest and most successful jewelry shops in the entire district. When he is home, he would always ask how training was for Amethyst and I, then he'll play with the boys.

When we pass by what Amethyst and I call the "Moches Hangout" one moche shouts and tries to get our attention, but we just ignore him. These moches always do crazy things and I'd take him on and teach him a lesson that'll make him know better than to mess with us, but I don't want to be late to training. I'm not scared of any of those moches, probably that's why Amethyst enjoys walking with me to the training center. She feels safe. I don't know why she's so scared of them, I mean she's an expert at knife-throwing.

We pass the moches hangout and walk near the bakery. Immediately the delightful smell of baked bread filled with warmth and cranberry cakes topped with cream and fruits fill my nose. Sometimes Amethyst and I would buy something to eat on our way to training center, but today Amethyst was in such a hurry that we forgot to ask our mother for money. After we stop drooling over the cakes that are on display, we continue walking.

"Excited on volunteering?" Amethyst asks.

"Yeah, it's been something I've been waiting for my whole life" I answer.

Which is true. In the career districts, the 18 year old boys and girls(even younger trainees) can't wait to volunteer and get into the games, unlike the kids from the poor districts who don't train and have as much food like we do. A few minutes later we walk into the huge training center where we have been training for the games our whole lives.

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	2. PreGames Training

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We walk into the training center and see that no one has arrived yet. Some trainers are present, and are at their stations organizing things and getting them ready for the trainees.

"Good morning girls." Saline greets with a warm smile. Saline is a trainer for the knife throwing station, she became very fond of Amethyst and I when she saw our skills. Saline is very pretty, probably that's why a lot of boys go to her station. Her light blue eyes compliment her light brown hair and white porcelain skin.

"Good morning." Amethyst and I smile back.

Saline is one of my favorite trainers in the training center. One thing I like about her is her kindness. If a trainee doesn't do something correctly, she helps them. Saline has a lot of patience unlike the other trainers here.

Amethyst stays and talks with Saline while I walk over to the spear throwing station. I guess Glen hasn't arrived yet. I blame Amethyst for making us get to the training center really early, earlier than some of the trainers in fact.

Glen is the trainer for the spear-throwing station. He's been my mentor ever since I took an interest in spears and is the opposite of Saline, he has very little patience. One time this boy Dylan didn't throw the spear right, and Glen lectured him about having no talent and being a weakling for a career.

I remember the first time I tried out the spear throwing station. After getting the hang of it, I was decent with throwing spears from afar. Glen barely gets impatient with me, he says that I'm his best student. But when he does, I would always have a snappy, witty comment to my defense.

I pick up a three foot spear with a diamond shaped tip. I twirl it around for a minute then position myself to throw. I throw it and it lands on the bullseye. I'm good at any type of spear, but when I get into the arena I would prefer using the smaller ones since they're less heavy and easier to carry around.

I look over at the knife throwing station. Amethyst is already getting started with her knives. I focus on my spears and throw another one. Dead center.

"Warming up early in the morning, I see." I turn around and see Glen standing with a dark blue duffle bag clinging to his right shoulder.

"Yeah, I just want to get some practice in before the reaping."

Since I'm volunteering this year I want to do some last minute training with spears and other survival skills. When I get to the Capitol I'm going to have to go through the tribute parade before we're all allowed to train.

The reaping is tomorrow and I want to make sure that no one in the 18 year old girl's division is planning on volunteering because it's my year and if someone else tries to ruin it for me, I'll have no problem teaching them a lesson.

I waited for all the trainers of the survival skills stations to arrive. When they do, I walk away from the spear throwing station and walk over to the snares station. The trainer, Dustin, was helpful, and in no time I learned the basic types of snares that are useful for catching animals that will make a great meal in the arena.

Before noon, I've tied intricate and complicated knots at the knot tying station, identified berries that are either edible or deadly, identified different medicinal plants that can heal burns and tracker jacker stings, and learned what materials are good for making fires.

After a visit to each of the survival skills stations, I go back to the spear throwing station. I see three people trying it out, but none are as good as me. Among them is a girl who manages to hit the dummy, but it is nowhere near the bullseye. She has dark brown hair which is not very common here in district 1 because almost everyone has blonde hair.

Elaine, I believe is her name. I recognize her, she usually goes to one of my father's jewelry shops with her dad. I have also seen her around the training center sometimes, heard she's really good with a bow and arrow, but she's probably trying to get some training in case she gets reaped. Or she is going to volunteer. I'm going to find out.

"Tighten your grip." I say standing behind her with my arms crossed.

She's about to let go of the spear, but turns around quickly. When she sees me, she turns back around, tightens her grip on the spear just how I told her to, and throws. It was nice throw, it landed four inches near the dummy's heart.

"Thanks. Amethine, right?" She asks kindly, with her hands hanging by her side.

I nod. "No problem, I barely see you trying out the spear throwing station. Are you going to volunteer?" I ask, ready to threaten her if she says 'yes'.

"No way, I'm just trying everything out in case I get reaped. I'm not planning on volunteering anytime soon." she says. I can tell that she's getting nervous.

"Oh, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Just like my sister. Do me favor? Tell your friends who plan on volunteering to not. It's my year, and if anyone else tries to ruin it I'm gonna get them when they least expect it." I say firmly.

She nods. "Well, good luck. I'm going to go to the knot-tying station" she says, walking away quickly.

Good. If I can scare a little sixteen year old, then it'll be no problem threatening an eighteen year to not volunteer. I hear the lunch bell ring, signaling that it's time to eat. In the training center there's a cafeteria that provides lunch for all trainees. We get a full one hour lunch break and when you hear the bell ring again, it's back to training.

"Hey Amethine, wait for me!" My head snaps around to find Shine jogging in my direction. As stupid as her name sounds, Shine has been one of my closest friends ever since we were kids. We first met when she went shopping at my dad's jewelry shop with her family. Both of our fathers got along, and later along the way we did too.

"I hope the lunch is good. I will not eat, if they serve that disgusting honey baked chicken dish again." She says disgusted. Her blonde hair bounces as we walk.

Don't let Shine's girliness fool you. She's skilled with a whip and is lethal in hand to hand combat. We walk into the huge, blue double doors and see that a lot of people are already sitting at the tables with their trays. Shine and I grab our food: Roasted chicken topped with green, vegetable sauce that tastes great.

Our other friends Reina and Evan join us at the table. I met Reina in the training center a few years ago, and at first we hated each other but started to notice that we were alike in some ways. She use to have blonde hair like Shine and I, but she was tired of having the same hair color as everyone else so she dyed it fiery red, which suits her better.

Evan and Reina have been dating for five years now and are still going strong. Most girls here in district one go crazy for him, and that doesn't stop Reina from telling them to back off.

"Are you still volunteering?" Shine asked.

"Yes, and there's nothing that's going to change my mind." I say drinking from the bottle of water that was also provided.

All of a sudden the three awkwardly look around in different directions. Reina is staring into Evan's eyes as if she's urging him to do something. They know I'm not stupid, and that I can sense something is going on.

"What?" I ask, slightly annoyed.

"Nothing. We're going to really miss you when you leave for the games." Reina says.

I'm still not convinced. I know something is not right, but I don't bother to ask what it is and they don't volunteer to tell.

We finish our food and just discuss what angles might fit well for my interview, which is on the night before all the tributes enter the arena.

"How about sexy and devious?" Shine suggests.

"A big no. District one female tributes always act sexy, but not me. Look at where it got them, they probably won over a fair amount of sponsors, but most don't make it out alive." I say harshly.

This is completely true. Everyone expects the district one female to take on the sexy angle for her interview, but I'm not using that. Most district one female tributes who use that angle aren't taken seriously and are usually killed first among the career alliance.

"But I think I could pull off the devious part." I say, sounding grateful to Shine's idea.

The lunch bell rings and we exit the cafeteria. Shine and I say bye to Reina and Evan who go over to the axe station. I suggest we throw some spears and Shine agrees.

All of my spears land on the center of the dummy's heart. Shine manages to hit the dummy, but barely gets the spear to hit the bullseye. Once I mastered the art of throwing spears, Shine begged me to teach her because back then she was horrible and the trainers were having a hard time teaching her how to hit the bullseye. I've tried every teaching strategy, but she is just unteachable. The only thing she accomplished so far was holding the spear right and managing to make the spear stick onto the dummy.

Since training ends at three o'clock, and it is currently one o'clock Shine and I just continue throwing more spears then move on to the knife throwing station. Ofcourse Amethyst is still there, throwing her knives and watching them land onto the dead center of the dummy's head. I'm not too bad at throwing knives, since Amethyst and Saline gave me a few helpful tips.

Shine is the opposite whatsoever, her knives can't stick. I muster all the strength I have to hide my laughter, but I fail and so does Amethyst. Shine tells us to shut up and we do.

Time flies and we hear the bell that tells us training is over. No trainee is allowed to stay back and train some more, but tomorrow the training center will open at 7 o'clock and kids are allowed to come and train up until 10 o'clock. This only happens on the day of reaping.

I say bye to Shine, her house is just around the corner of the training center so it won't be that far of a walk for her. Amethyst and I say bye to Saline and we walk out of the training center, ready to head home.


	3. Looking Back

We arrive at our home in twenty minutes. Once we step inside the aroma of something baking enters my nose. I see Amethyst sniffing the air like a dog sensing a treat from its owner.

"What do you think mom's cooking?" I curiously ask.

"I don't know, but I bet dad's home."

Since my dad is barely home because he spends his time running his jewelry shops, my mother would usually prepare an amazing lunch or dinner to award him for his hard work. Although he doesn't come home sometimes until after midnight, my mother would leave the dish in the oven for him.

Once in my room, I change into some comfortable gym shorts and a vanilla cream top. I take of the fingerless glove and toss them onto the drawer.

I walk out to the kitchen and see that Amethyst is right. At the table, I see my parents helping themselves to some baked chicken which is placed on the center of the table.

"Good afternoon dear. How was training?" My mother asks while slicing the chicken on her plate.

"Fine," I say. I plop down on the chair next to my father who seems to be really enjoying the food.

"Hi dad." I say cutting off a section of some chicken breast.

"Hi honey. How was your day?" he asked.

"Good, yours?"

"Wonderful, I just checked the sales report of all my shops and found that the business is getting better and better everyday." He says proudly.

"That's awesome!" I say enthusiastically.

I really respect my father. Because of him, we don't have to suffer like the people in the Vilain section. We have a good life, but my father has to pay a price to keep it. Family time is sacrificed and spent on the business to help it thrive.

He's always busy, but he would try his best to find some spare time. Like for Amethyst's birthday last year. She was so mad that he wasn't going to show up, but he surprised all of us by coming to the party with a big bouquet of tiger lilies and a box that contains a necklace. There was an amethyst stone on the necklace, the beautiful gemstone which she was named after.

Amethyst walks into the kitchen, staring at the baked chicken hungrily.

"Are you drooling?" I ask with a wrinkled nose.

"Shut up." She snaps.

"Enough, girls. Your father is home from a hard day of work and he is looking forward to a home full of peace and relaxation." our mother scolds.

"Looks like he isn't going to find it here" Amethyst mutters to herself.

"I heard that," my mother says, this causes my father to let out a light laugh.

"It's okay Susan, they're teenagers. This bickering isn't going to stop until they turn 50."

We all laugh. That's another thing I love about my father. Coming home from a hard day of work that may have worn him out down to the bone, he can still manage to make his family laugh and stay in a good mood.

After finishing up, we all help clear the table and my parents help each other with washing the plates. Amethyst and I leave the kitchen when we see them get all lovey dovey.

Amethyst goes into her room while I decide to check up on our little twin brothers, who I haven't heard from when we got back home from training. I open the door a crack and find them playing 'sword fight'. They're swinging their small, light wooden swords at each other but they don't hit it the other directly. My father got them those swords for their 5th birthday. Both of them love it and play with them when they don't have any schoolwork or other things to do.

I close the door and giggle. Bored, I decided to watch TV knowing that since the reaping is tomorrow, clips of old hunger games are probably being broadcasted.

I turn on the television in my room and watch the 52nd hunger games. The girl from district 9 is hiding in the bush near the career camp. She will definitely be killed. The girl from one, Ruby, and they Brutus, the boy from two are on guard. Ruby is really skinny and tall and Brutus looks like he can break a rock in half. Yep, the girl from 9 is toast.

The camera turns from all the sleeping careers then back to the district nine tribute who is still behind the bush watching them stealthily. She rises up slowly with a knife in her hand and takes quiet steps towards the tree Brutus is leaning on.

She stops behind the tree and looks around. Ruby is polishing her darts and Brutus is sharpening his spears. The girl from district nine is about to make her way around the tree, when she steps on a twig that snaps loudly.

Both of the career tributes that are on guard get on their feet with their weapons in their hand. Brutus poised to throw his spear, and Ruby with her blowgun to her mouth ready to blow a deadly dart out.

The district 9 girl stays still, then she suddenly loses her balance and falls with her knife falling out of her hand and half of her body which isn't concealed by the tree, exposed.

"I see her!" Ruby exclaims. She blows and the dart hits the girl right on the waist.

The girl screams in agony and tries to reach for her knife, but Ruby kicks it away fiercely. The girl tries to crawl away and slightly succeeds. The career tributes laugh like maniacs as they follow her.

"Keep crawling. Crawl far away in fact, so when we're done with you we don't have to move in order for the hovercraft to retrieve your _dead _body." Brutus says sadistically.

The girl whimpers as she crawls away. I am surprised by how far she has crawled away from the camp. When the two career tributes decided that she crawled far enough, they get on their knees to kill her. Or should I say, _torture_ her.

Ruby pulls the dart out of the girl's side and she screams. The dart must've been deep into her skin, because blood gushes out of the wound. Brutus uses his spear to create a gash from her shoulder down to her elbow. Ruby cuts her leg with the dart she pulled out a minute ago.

Finally after all the cuts and gashes, Brutus told Ruby to do the honors. She did it by shooting a dart that lands right on the girl's forehead. After the canon is fired, the careers give each other high-fives and walk back to camp.

I look out my window and see that it's already dark outside. Time goes by so fast. I turn back to the TV and see that the careers have turned on each other. It must be the final eight. The girl from four and Brutus are having an intense battle, the district four female with her trident and Brutus with his spear.

Ruby and the girl from two are having a battle as well. It's a man for himself and a woman for herself now. No more allies, they're all against each other. Ruby's dodging the district two female's dagger and blowing darts out rapidly, while the district two girl dodges them as well.

The boy from district one manages to kill the boy from four. I can tell he's planning on fleeing the battle. I am proven right when he takes his bag pack and runs away unnoticed.

Brutus kills the girl from four by stabbing her in the abdomen, then in the heart. I am impressed by the district four girl, she managed to give Brutus some cuts on his arm and face, but that doesn't matter anymore because she's dead.

When Ruby finds out she has ran out of darts she see the district two female smirking evilly. The district female swings her knife, but Ruby ducks. Brutus is shown watching all of this from the sidelines.

The district two female manages to kill Ruby. When Ruby's body falls to the ground, she sees Brutus just standing there. I expect another intense battle to happen, but instead they nod their heads at each other and run in the opposite directions.

Two days past and the last three career tributes are scattered throughout the arena. The district two female uses snares to catch food, the district one boy has some dried beef strips and dried fruit in his bag, and Brutus spends most of his time cleaning his spear.

Finally, another intense battle takes place between the district two girl and the district one boy. They're evenly matched, the girl is short but quick and agile and the district one male is skinny, but uses brute strength.

The district one male kills the girl by slashing her throat. A camera catches Brutus's reaction as he sees his former ally's face in the sky. He shook his head, but I can tell his happy that he didn't have to be the one to kill her.

The last battle was one of the longest battle I've ever witnessed. The district one boy has a gash on his arm and Brutus has a cut on his calf. Both males are injured, but haven't give up just yet. Brutus manages to disarm the district one male and stabs him with his spear multiple times. The canon fires and Brutus is announced victor.

I shut the TV off and just stare at the ceiling. The Hunger Games. Tomorrow, if I am quick enough to volunteer I've earned my spot in them.

Tomorrow I'll be walking down to the training center alone because Amethyst isn't planning on volunteering and if she gets reaped, I'm going to volunteer anyway.

I draw the silky, red curtains tight together and get into my bed. I close my eyes. Tomorrow I will be the female tribute representing district 1 in the 61st Hunger Games and become a victor just like Brutus.


	4. Who Can Volunteer First

**Special acknowledgements to **_**RainbowTeeth8, BeatsInAllegro, and Dancingchocolatesmudge, and DogsII **_**for reviewing! You're all wonderful readers.**

**Enjoy! Also, this is the last chapter before the reaping so if you really want that reaping chapter to be up fast, you gotta review!**

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My eyes fly open and my head snaps in the direction of my alarm clock. It's 6:00. Training starts at 7:00 for those who want to train before the reaping. The reaping starts at 2 in the afternoon, and people don't have to go to work today. If they want, they may sleep in.

I jump out of bed, not bothering to have it made. Instead I run into my bathroom and take a cold shower that will help get me energized. I put on the red and gray jumpsuit and put my hair in its usual high ponytail style.

I feel like Amethyst now. Wanting to get to the training center earlier than the trainers. It makes me grin when I think of how it annoys me that she wants to get there super early, but today I'm probably going to arrive before 7.

Jogging downstairs, find it empty. Noone has awakened yet. I grab an apple out of the refrigerator and munch on it quickly. Once I'm finished, I drink a glass of orange juice. As I head out the door, I remember my fingerless gloves, yet again.

I run upstairs and retrieve them when a thought enters my mind. I'm going to be walking to the training center alone, without my sister. I'm not scared or anything, it's just that I want to carry a weapon with me just in case those moches try to do something. They're sneaky, you'll never know what they'll try to do.

I open Amethyst's door slowly and tiptoe over to the mahogany dresser and pull out five throwing knives. Since the suit has no pockets I slip two of them in one sleeve and two knives in the other. I stash the last one into my bra, grateful that none of them are noticeable.

"Hey," I turn around and see Amethyst opening her eyes groggily.

"You better return them" she adds. I grin and close the door.

I walk out the door and start on my walk down to the training center. I stroll by the moches hangout when I hear someone.

"Hey, pretty girl. Why don't you come and hang out with us?" I turn and see a man, probably in his forties. He has a gray beard and his head is covered with a beanie full of holes. All the clothing on his body is torn up.

"We have some refreshments." Another guy says, holding a bottle of champagne and standing next to the first. How they got it, I don't know.

"By refreshments, I suppose you mean _stolen_ champagne?" I say harshly, with my arms crossed and my chin raised in defiance and fearlessness.

"Aren't you feisty? I like feisty" Moche number two says. He and moche number one stand in front of a tree smiling like idiots. I see moche number two take a step forward. Immediately instinct kicks in, and I slide out a knife from my right sleeve and throw.

The knife buries itself in the tree, a centimeter away from his head. They glare at me and back away into the abandon building. I give them a smirk and retrieve the knife.

I continue on my walk until I finally arrive at the training center. I'm surprised to find all the trainers present. I say good morning to Saline and make my way over to the spear throwing station. I say good morning to Glen and throw three spears which all land on the bullseye.

"Do you know anyone who's planning on volunteering?" I ask.

"Boys or girls"

"Girls."

"Zeya."

Glen doesn't even have to tell me her last name because that, I already know. Zeya Fremont, same age as me and hits the target all the time with a bow and arrows. I don't bother feeling angry, I bet she won't be smart enough to volunteer fast. Glen, who is still behind me watching me throw, has noticed my silence.

"Am I going to witness a showdown at the reaping?" he asks.

"Probably. How do you know she's volunteering?"

"Yesterday, when you were over at the knife throwing station, she came here. I heard her bragging to her friends about volunteering and winning this year's games."

"Is she good with a spear?" I ask

"Not at all." he says smiling. I laugh, now I know what she's bad at. Just as I'm about to say something to Glen the entrance doors burst open.

Zeya.

"Speaking of the devil." Glen says.

"There she is," I say, observing her as she walks over to the hand to hand combat station.

Zeya and I were in the same year at school. We were friendly to each other at first, until we start competing at everything. Getting the higher grade, having the best reaping dress, and many more. When our parents enrolled us into training, nothing changed. We competed more and more.

When I met Shine, I just forgot about her and stopped competing. Now that we're both planning on volunteering, it'll be just like the old days. Only now it's different. Who can volunteer first.

I throw a few more spears then take a glance at Zeya. She's doing well with hand to hand combat. I see the trainer- Gerald, explaining some type of move. Without thinking I stride over.

Gerald and Zeya both look up at me. "Good morning, would you like to join us?" Gerald asks.

"Yeah, just want to do some hand to hand combat, because I'm volunteering" I say confidently. I looked Zeya straight in the eyes when I say the last words.

"That's great! Here just sit on the mat. I was talking about the twist and drop move" Gerald says.

I can tell by the look in Zeya's eyes that she's mad because someone else might steal her chance to get into the games. Well, she's right. I'm going to steal her chance and I won't feel a tiny bit of remorse when I leave on that train to the Capitol.

I nod and sit down on the black mat. Gerald shows us how to bring your opponent to the ground. When you're struggling to get the upper hand in a fight, grab your opponent's hand, twist it, go under it and pull their body to the ground.

"Okay, why don't you guys each try it with a trainer?" Gerald suggests. As I get on my feet, the next thing catches me by surprise.

"Why don't we practice that flip on each other?" Zeya asks innocently.

"Even better. Go ahead." He says.

I know this won't just be a twist and drop demonstration. I'll show her who's the one with the greater potential of volunteering for the games and becoming a victor.

We're told to stand at opposite ends of the mat. When Gerald blows the whistle, we can start.

I get into a position and wait. Once the sound of the whistle fills my ear, I wait for Zeya to make her move. She springs forward at me, but I move to my right and quickly elbow her back. She groans, but doesn't fall. She turns around, and we just watch each other.

"That wasn't a smart move." I say, grinning.

She glares then rubs her back. I use this moment to take her by surprise. I lunge forward and grab her hand, I twist it despite her cry of pain, and throw her onto the ground harshly.

Gerald blows the whistle. He claps his hands at my accomplishment.

"That is how you do the twist and drop." He says.

I smile. I suddenly feel pressure on my neck and my throat begins to tighten. I try my best to inhale and exhale until I notice what the problem is.

Zeya has me in a chokehold.

"I'm volunteering." She says in my ear. I bite her arm as I hard as I can. I don't stop even though I hear her screaming in agony. I continue to bite down on her flesh until I taste blood. The pressure on my neck loosens up so I thrash my way out.

I hold her by the hair and punch her face. I don't stop even though I feel the bones cracking underneath my strong hands. She pulls my hair, but that doesn't affect me. I feel someone pulling me. I elbow whoever it is and when I hear a groan I realize I just elbowed Glen.

That doesn't stop me from trying to kill Zeya. I throw her to the ground and she has trouble getting back up. I remember the knives I have on me, but it won't be a fair fight if I take them out, so I continue using my fists. When she gets up, I knee her in the face and feel more bones crack.

Now more hands are pulling me back, I try to elbow them as well but I feel my elbows hitting the empty air. Gerald rushes Zeya to the nurse's office and when I finally calm down I look around at the crowd of people staring at me. They saw the whole thing.

"What are you all staring at!" I yell at them. They stop staring and scatter to throughout the stations.

"Ms. Amethine, this is your first and last warning. Do you understand?" says Larry, the trainer of the archery station.

I nod, but that doesn't shut him up.

"Any more altercations like that and you will be suspended from training for three weeks, understood?" he scolds.

"Okay, I get it! But she choked me first!" I shout at him, not caring if everyone in the whole building can hear.

"I know. She will receive her punishment after the nurse fixes her up."

"Good luck with that" I mutter. He glares at me, and I walk away.

I fix my hair and walk over to the axe station. I feel someone grab my arm so I turn around immediately.

"Relax, it's us" Evan says with Reina beside him.

"What was that all about?" he asks.

"Gerald told us to practice this maneuver on each other and it became face-off, until I finally performed it on her. Gerald congratulated me and Zeya got mad and had me in a chokehold." I say.

"Well, why the hell would she do that?" Reina asks.

"Because she's planning on volunteering too"

Now Reina and Evan get it. They know I've been waiting for a long time to volunteer, and I wasn't going to let anyone ruin it for me. Not even Zeya.

We proceed to the axe station together. The axe is Reina's weapon of choice, the sword is Evan's. I behead the dummy and hack off both of its hands. I continue hitting the chest. Using the axe is easy, but you need to know how to grip it right.

I watch as Reina throws her axe. It lands on the shoulder. I look over and see Evan at the sword station stabbing the dummy's chest. I concentrate on the dummy, I imagine the dummy as Zeya. I raise the axe and slice the stomach. The upper part of the dummy's body falls off and lands on the floor.

I throw the axe on the mat and approach the spear throwing station. I reach for a random spear and throw it. Lands right in the middle of the dummy's head, like I planned.

As I reach for another spear I see Glen.

"I'm sorry for-"

"No need for apologizing" he says quickly.

"Why? But I-"

"Save it." He says, he has his hand up signaling silence.

"Would you rather waste your time apologizing or train before the reaping?" I see the corners of his lips form into a smile.

I give a smirk and nod. I turn back to the spears and throw some more. I spot Zeya holding an ice bag to her nose. I look over at Evan who laughs and points at her. I laugh at him and the sight of Zeya.

I throw more spears until the bell rings. Time to go home. I say bye to Reina and Evan and walk home, excited to see what I'm going to wear to the reaping.

* * *

**Tell me what you think by submitting a review. **** Please review, review, review, and REVIEW! The more you review, the faster I update and get to the interesting parts!**


	5. Reaping Day

**Hey guys, guess what I'm really craving right now? REVIEWS! Please, please, please, please review! I really need to know what you guys think. I will listen to constructive criticism, not flames. (:**

**So here is the reaping chapter! Enjoy **

Instead of walking in a calm pace, I speed walk all the way home. I pass by the Moches Hangout and see that no one is present. I grin to myself, thinking that my knife-throwing fit must've scared them off. Halfway to my home, I start to jog.

Once at my house, I burst through the doors. I find my mother and siblings in the living room with different type of fabrics on the furniture along with sewing kits. There are also two manikins standing in the middle of the living room with my reaping outfit on it.

I stare at what I see. It's amazing. I told my mom to not make my reaping outfit girlie. I told her I was going for fierce and intimidating. That's exactly what she did.

On the manikin, I see a blouse along with pants, not a dress. I see black, leather boots instead of sparkly sandals. I will definitely stand out. My mother's voice makes me stop staring at what I will be wearing for the reaping.

"So, how is it?" She asked.

"It's… exactly what I wanted" I see as I continue to stare at the clothes.

"Do you like it?" She asks while watching me.

"Yes. Thank you." I say and hug her.

I hear her let out a sigh of relief as she returns the hug.

"Do you want to see what I made for Amethyst?" she asks.

Honestly, I don't. I really want to try on my reaping outfit, but I don't want to disappoint my mother, so I agree. Amethyst wants something that'll make her look sexy and my mother has succeeded at making that happen.

A silky, strapless magenta dress that exposes the back and stops at the knees was made for Amethyst.

My mother was once a well-known fashion designer throughout the district. She was in charge of making clothes for Capitol citizens and department stores.

She decided to quit when she was pregnant with me. She and my father thought it was a good idea, since his jewelry business was successful and they both agreed that it would be hard taking care of a baby and going to work.

After exchanging compliments, my mother leaves with Garnet and Geode to prepare what they are going to wear for the reaping. She wants them to look classy, even though they won't participate in them.

I gently remove the clothes from the manikin. Amethyst does the same and darts into her room. I walk into my room and strip off my training suit. I put on the dark blue, sleeveless blouse and black skinny jeans. Over it, I wear a black, leather jacket and slip on the leather boots my mother bought.

Fierce. Intimidating. Those are the words one would say when they see me walk into the square.

Since it's not yet time for the reaping I take off my reaping clothes and put on something comfortable.

To kill time, I played sword fight with Garnet and Geode and helped my mother clean the house. I also took a walk around the house, taking in the images of our spacious rooms, elegant painted walls, and comfortable couches and beds.

When the time finally comes, I put on my reaping outfit. My mother offered to apply some lipstick but I kindly declined. My father arrives just in time to give us a lift to the district square.

Although we have a car, Amethyst and I chose to walk to training center because it would help us get some good exercise.

We pile into the car and drive to the square. We get out and find girls and boys between the ages of 12 and18 in their glittery dresses, expensive suits, and overly applied make-up.

Our parents wish me luck for getting the volunteering spot first. We say goodbye to our family and line up to sign in. Amethyst has been attracting a lot of attention from the boys while I was catching everyone's eyes in my unique style.

The lady pricks our fingers and places it on a book, where a drop of our blood leaks onto the page. Amethyst and I watch a twelve year old girl shake with fear as she sees the device in the woman's hands approaching her finger.

Amethyst walks over to the sixteen year old girls' section and I wade over to the eighteen year old girl's side. I spot Shine among the crowd and stand next to her.

"I love the whole badass getup" She says looking at what I have on.

"Thanks, you look glamorous" I say. She has on a silver dress with black roses stitched on.

We look over at Reina who stands in the seventeen year old section. She smiles at us and we smile back.

Shine and I begin some small talk until a thump on the microphone catches our attention.

"Hello glamorous people of district one!" Morraina Heltsment exclaims.

Majority of the people in the square cheer in response.

Morraina has a ridiculous style of fashion just like any typical Capitol citizen. This year, she's wearing a lime green, spiky wig and a bright purple dress along with yellow heels. Last year, she wore freaky piercings but decided to stay away from them when an accident occurred.

I take a glance at my family in the crowd. My mother gives me an encouraging smile and my father shows me two thumbs up. My little brothers wave excitedly and even blow kisses.

"Today we are going to pick one young man and woman to compete in the 61st Hunger Games!" Morraina says clapping her hands.

"Now, as always. Ladies first!" She says as she walks over to the girls' reaping bowl.

"Elena-"

"I volun-"

"I VOLUNTEER!" I say as loud and fast as I can.

I wasn't focusing on who's name Morraina picked. I was daydreaming on how the arena would be this year. What snapped me out of my gaze was when I heard someone about to volunteer.

All eyes are on me because of the words that have just spilled from my mouth. I look over to see who was about to volunteer and spot a girl about the same age as me with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes glaring.

I smirk and walk up to the stage confidently, not caring one bit if what I did was unfair.

"That was interesting, but since you completed that sentence first you have earned the title as the female tribute of district 1!" Morraina squeals.

"What is your name dear?" She asks while putting the microphone near my mouth.

"Amethine Gemmis" I say proudly.

"Well Amethine, congratulations! Now it's time to choose the boys" She says waddling over to the boys' reaping bowl.

I look over at the girl who failed to volunteer first. She is still glaring at me, so to mess with her I flash a big pearly white smile which causes her to glare more.

Morraina holds the small piece of paper in her hands and unfolds it slowly.

"Tyler-"

"I volunteer!" I hear some yell.

I look over to see who it is, and immediately my heart drops to my stomach.

It's Evan.


	6. Expect the Unexpected

**I know some of you weren't that surprised by the cliffhanger on the last chapter. Most of you were like "Why Evan?" well, I worked hard on this chapter, and I hope it answers your question. So enjoy, and please let me know what you think **

"How delightful, another volunteer! I have a feeling that this year's games are going to be interesting." Exclaims an excited Morraina.

Yes they will be quite interesting. This year, the year I have been waiting for my entire life- to get into the games and win has been deeply affected. I will be put in the arena to kill others, possibly even one of my true friends.

"What is your name, young man?" she asks while putting the microphone close to his mouth, just like she did with me.

"Evan Fortis" he says into the mic.

Why? This one question doesn't dare leave my mind. Something I wanted so badly, and it gets ruined in a mere split second. Why did he do this? Why did he volunteer? Anger, sadness are all mixed up in my brain that I'm not sure how to feel.

There is definitely nothing romantic between Evan and I and there never has been. I remember the first day I met him.

_-Flashback-_

"_Mom, I want that one!"I say pointing at a silver glittery dress planted on a manikin. It's so pretty. It catches my eye every time I turn my head in its direction that I just can't stop looking at it. _

"_No honey, that's for the big girls." My mom says calmly._

_I cross my arms. "That's not fair, how come they get to wear the pretty dress!" I spat, annoyed. My mother only laughs and strokes my hair softly. As much as I want to slap her hand away, I let her caress my hair._

"_I promise, when you get older I'll get that for you." She says, looking at a yellow dress with red lace at the hem._

"_What if I get older and it's not there anymore?" I ask._

_Before she can answer, a lady bumps into her and they almost fall, but they both manage to balance themselves by holding onto a shelf and a manikin._

_I expect my mother to get mad the woman for not watching her way, but instead they burst into a fit of laughter. I'm so confused, I don't even notice the boy standing by the lady's side looking at them with a confused look on his face as well._

_The boy looks at me and brings his hand to his ear. He uses one finger and moves it in a circular motion while using his other hand to point at his mother. When I notice what he means, I laugh along with our mothers. His gesture means that his mother is some kind whack job, but I know he's just kidding._

"_I am such a walking disaster" the boy's mother says ashamed._

"_Trust me, I'm worse. Everything I touch either falls or cracks." My mother says. It is true, she has broken a few glasses and dropped anything she doesn't hold onto tight._

"_So, what brings you guys here?"My mother asks her._

"_Just buying Evan here a suit for his first reaping." She says as she pats her son, Evan's shoulder. _

"_Same here, only this is Amethine's second reaping." My mother says smiling kindly._

"_I'm Linda." Evan's mother says extending her hand._

"_Susan." My mother states, not hesitating to grab Linda's hand and give it a firm, but kind shake._

"_Why don't we look for our children's reaping outfit together?" My mother suggests._

"_That would be wonderful! I knew I would be need some help, but my husband doesn't enjoy shopping at all." Linda says._

"_Well, even though I don't have the same taste as most men, I think I can help you find something nice for Evan" my mother says and she glances at Evan._

_Then that's how the whole shopping trip turned out. Our mothers walking around the department store, scanning the dresses, and suits carefully, wanting their child's reaping outfit to be amazing._

_Evan and I walk behind them, talking about who we think is going to volunteer this year. After coming up with different names, I mention training about the games._

"_You train?" Evan asks in disbelief._

_I nod. "But I don't plan on volunteering just yet." I say._

"_Then when?" he asks._

"_When I'm eighteen." I say confidently._

_We spent the next hour talking about my training. He would ask a lot of questions, like about the trainers in the center and the activities that go on in there. He tells me he really wants to train, but says that his mother doesn't agree with him training to become a bloodthirsty career, especially at a young age._

_I encourage him to try his best to convince her. Who knows if his name gets pulled out of that bowl and no one volunteers to save him from his death. I tell him that if he really wants to do something, he shouldn't let anything stand in his way, not even his mother. I assured him that if the roles were switched, and my mother wouldn't let me train I would do everything and anything to get her to enroll me._

_Finally after my mother and I agree on a light purple dress and Evan picks out a dark blue polo, we say goodbye to each other and mention what a pleasure it was to literally 'bump' into them. Evan and I wave goodbye at each other._

_Then I realized, even though neither of us said it, that I have just made a new friend._

_-End of Flashback-_

Evan and his mother, who is so kind and caring. She be must upset of having her son entering a death match against other children, but I look over at her and see that she is trying to stay strong for him. Even though he has been training ever since the age of thirteen, she probably knows that not every year a tribute from district one takes the victor's crown home.

We may have four victors, but last year the district one tributes were idiots that they developed a friendship with their allies, and when they least expected it, had their heads chopped off with an axe or stabbed in the heart by a dagger.

Never develop relationships in the arena. Nothing friendly nor romantic. The word romantic brings Reina to mind. Evan's girlfriend of five years. I search for her in the seventeen year old girl's section and she gives me a sad smile. Did she know about this? I know for sure she would've been crying her heart out if she didn't.

Morraina's high pitched voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"May I present to you, the tributes of district 1!" she exclaims and the crowd goes wild.

"Shake hands you two" she urges. I grab Evan's hand and give it a gentle shake as I resist the need to twist and break it. The crowd doesn't stop cheering and whistling as we're ushered into the Justice Building.

Morraina disappears somewhere while two Peacekeepers escort Evan and I into different rooms where will bid our loved ones goodbye. I plop down on the red, comfortable seat and wait for my family.

They burst through the door with my little twin brothers in the front and my father in the back. Garnet and Geode plant kisses on my cheeks and hug me. I give them each rib-crushing hugs and tell them a few jokes that my parents have found humorous as well.

"Are you going to win Amethy?" Geode asks, using and old nickname that he must've suddenly remembered.

I nod. "Yes. Yes, I will. I'm going to win for all of you guys." I say as I plant a kiss on his forehead.

"Are you going to bring us back a present?" Garnet asks.

"I'm going to bring back something more than a gift. I promise." I say stroking his hair, the way my mother did to me at the department store when I was thirteen years old.

I'm going to bring back pride, glory, victory, and unlimited money back to my family. I'm not letting anyone get in my way, not even Evan. He knew that I was going to volunteer and he decided to ruin it. I'm going to say 'I warned you' as I look into his eyes as he takes his last breath.

When I'm done saying goodbye to the twins, my parents step forward.

My mother cups my hand with both of hers.

"Amethine. Promise me that when you win, you come back the way you were. I love you, never forget that. We all love you, me, your father, brothers, and sister. I have no doubts about you winning, but just…be careful. Especially with the decisions you make. Try not to make poor judgments, because it will make a big difference between life and death. Understand?" my mother says, staring into my eyes intently.

I manage to nod my head and pull her into an embrace. The tone of my mother's superior voice catches me off-guard, so I just nod. She's right. The choices I make will affect my survival, so I need to be careful.

My mother kisses my cheek and makes room for my father to say what he needs to say.

He puts both of his hands on my shoulders.

"Just like your mother said, be careful. It's not that we doubt you, it's because anything can happen in the arena. You've watched the past games, so you know firsthand that something happens when you least expect it. Bottom line is; expect the unexpected." He says.

"I love you and know you will bring home the crown." He adds and kisses my cheek.

The door opens and a peacekeeper sticks his head in.

"Time's up." He says, my family gives me some last hugs and kisses when I realize I haven't said good bye to Amethyst. First the twins, then my mother followed by my father walk out.

The peacekeeper holds the door for Amethyst, waiting for her to get out of the room, but she just stands there.

"Give me a few more minutes." She says.

"Can't. Time's up, that's it." The peacekeeper says.

Amethyst folds her arms together and stares back at him.

"A few more minutes, that's it." She says defiantly.

"Fine. Three minutes." He says.

"That's all I ask for." She says as the peacekeeper walks out and closes the door behind him.

I stare at Amethyst expectantly.

"Amethine, I know I don't say this a lot, but I love you. You're the best sister a girl could have. I know you have what it takes to make it out alive. You've been training for this for twelve years now and you have become quick, cunning, lethal, and agile so I feel sorry for those other tributes." She says smiling at the last remark.

I let out a laugh and pull her into a tight hug.

"Two more years and it's your turn." I say quietly.

"I know. You won't mind if I use some of your strategies for my games, right?" she asks while giggling a little.

"Ofcourse not. I love you too Amethyst. You're the best sister a girl could ever have, too. Make sure you watch over the family while I'm gone, okay? I know you have a stash full off throwing knives in your closet." I say smirking.

"Hey! How do you know that?" she says.

"It's so obvious." I say laughing. The door opens and the same peacekeeper steps in.

"Time's up." He says.

"Already five minutes have passed, so I wonder what the head peacekeeper would do if he found out that you weren't keeping track of time." She says hugging me one last time and walking past him, ignoring his nervous gaze.

I laugh. I sit back down on the velvet chair, seeking silence for now. It's not long until the door opens and Shine and Reina run over to me.

"Congratulations! That girl was so pissed off when you volunteered faster than her. I mean, did you see her face?" Shine says laughing, I laugh too. Looking back, her face was hysterical.

Shine and I laugh more at what she says, until I notice Reina standing quietly.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing. It's just that two of the people that I care about are going to enter a game when only one person is allowed to live." She says looking at the ground.

"Reina, now is the not the time to mope. Be happy for both of them. They're going to be allies, they're going to help each other. They will defend each other, so don't you worry." Shine says.

I nod my hear reassuring her that what Shine just said is true. I'm slightly annoyed at that fact that I have to help comfort Reina, when I am the one going away from home and won't come back until next month.

"Just forget about it. You're right, I should be happy for them. So congratulations!" Reina says, obviously trying to sound ecstatic.

"Thank you." I say hugging her.

"I know you'll win." Shine says, and this bothers Reina so I give her a look signaling that she shouldn't mention that around her.

"We're going to really miss you. Now, remember you can't develop any friendships with your allies, so distance yourself as possible. Alright?" Shine says.

"Got it, captain." I say giving her a salute that makes all of us laugh. We hug each other when the peacekeeper appears again and tells us that their time is up.

I figured my time was up too. No more visitors, it's time to get on the train and head on over to the Capitol. I step out of the room and the peacekeeper's hand blocks my way.

"Move" I say through gritted teeth.

"Not yet. You still got visitors."

I step back inside the room and wait. Saline and Glen step in with big smiles on their faces, Glen has more of a grin, then a smile.

Saline pulls me into a hug and I don't hesitate returning it.

"Thanks for the knife throwing tips." I say.

She laughs."I just gave you a few pointers, but you made the rest happen," she says.

"Remember everything you learned in the training center, lock it in a safe and set a long ass password. So in the future, it'll all come back to you with a snap of a finger." She says. I nod and give her one last hug.

Glen steps forward and gives me a quick embrace.

"Amethine, you were like a daughter I never had. Remember, you hit every bullseye with a spear just like a mockingjay that always has a new song to sing. You don't let anyone get to you. Think of things that won't come to mind of the others. Use the 60 seconds to scan your surroundings and form a plan, that way, when you jump of that plate, you'll know what to do." He says.

"Also, when food from the Cornucopia is running low, you hunt. Set up snares and use your spears and nooses, alright?" I nod.

"Make sure to intimidate the field during training. For you private session, show the Gamemakers something they have never seen before. And also-"

"Enough Glen. I'm sure she remembers every single little thing she learned here." Saline says pulling him from the back of his neck.

I say goodbye to them again and they walk out. The next visitor is someone unexpected.

Evan's mother.


	7. The Train Ride

**I really apologize for not updating. I've been really busy lately and didn't have the time to update, so to make up for it here's a long chapter! Thank you to the readers who always review, honestly you guys are awesome for sticking around and putting up with my cliffhangers **

Evan's mother doesn't look like the lady I met five years ago at the department store. Throughout the years, wrinkles have formed at the edge of her eyes and the bags under her eyes have become more noticeable. I don't know what to say, in fact I don't think I _should_ say anything to say to her. But finally, she breaks the silence.

"Look at you. Just five years ago, you were looking for reaping outfits with your mother when I first met you. Now you're all grown up and have just volunteered to participate in the games." She say smiling nervously. I have a feeling she isn't a person who is great with words, so it's going to take a while for her to get to reason why she's really here.

I nod in agreement.

"It's funny how time flies by so fast." I say.

"Amethine, I really know in my heart that you won't do anything harmful to Evan. I'm confident that you won't hurt him, so just please prove me right when I see on the screen that you still treat him like a friend. Please don't be the one responsible for his death." She says with a pleading look in her eyes.

I nod. "I won't hurt him, don't worry. In the arena, I'll laugh and tell jokes with him just how we would here. Nothing will happen to our friendship, that's a promise." I say solemnly.

Relief washes over her face. "Thank you. I have just finished talking to Evan, I told him the same thing I'm telling you right now."

I knit my eyebrows together. "You talked to him about the things you're telling me right now?" I ask and receive a nod in response.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want either of you getting hurt. And it's only fair, to tell you both to look out for each other, because of the friendship you share."

The door swings open and the Peacekeeper steps in. "Time's up" he says sharply.

Evan's mother nods her head and turns back to me.

"Take care. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor" she says while pulling me in for a hug. I return it and pat her on the back gently.

"You take care too." I say. She nods and walks out of the room.

When she's out of earshot, I look at the Peacekeeper.

"Any more visitors?" I ask.

"No. It's time to board the train." He says gesturing towards the hallway we have just entered. I walk through it and he guides me outside where a car is waiting. Evan, Morraina, and I get in and immediately Morraina starts chattering away.

I sit at the end next to the window, because I don't want to sit next to Evan. He sits at the opposite end next to the door while a very annoying Morraina sits in the middle.

When we arrive at the train station, a sea of Capitol reporters beg me to smile, but instead I give a smirk and ignore them. They snap some pictures of Evan as well and Morraina escorts us into the train. Once inside, the luxurious setting leave us speechless. Everything from the desserts and fruit on shiny tureens to the plush seats amaze me.

We meet our mentors Cashmere, Gloss, Beryl, and Axin. Cashmere and Gloss are siblings and won a year after the other due to their speed and skills with a knife. Beryl is famous for her long, three inched sharp nails which she used to win her games by clawing the last tribute to death. After that, her nails were altered with metal and ended in sharp points. Axin won his games by strangling tributes with his bare hands.

I don't plan on trying to impress them or become their favorite, but I want to be on their good side because when I get into the arena they'll be in charge of what gets sent to me. If they don't like me, there's a possibility that they won't send me anything at all. I know I won't need to depend on sponsor gifts, but in tough situations they will be helpful.

"So what is your weapon of choice?" Gloss asks me.

"Spears."

"Not the usual weapon for a girl, but what else are you good with?" he asks.

"Anything really, bow and arrows, an axe, a mace, throwing knives. You name it, I've been training for more than ten years." I say firmly. This catches all of the victor's attention.

"Good, we have something decent to work with." Axin says, impressed.

"What about you?" Beryl asks, looking at Evan who has been quiet.

"I'm great with a sword, and not too bad with an axe." He says.

Cashmere nods her head in approval to the both of us. "Now let me tell you guys something. When we arrive at the Capitol, you'll both be taken to the remake center to prepare for the tribute parade. Every hair on your body will be pulled off and every blemish will be removed. You are to not scream, fight, or protest, understand? The nicer you are, the more they like you." She says.

"I don't care if they don't like me" I say.

"Well you should. If you aren't nice to your prep team, they'll dress you up as a homeless clown in front of the entire Panem. You make a good impression on them, you'll be the best dressed tribute in the games." Beryl says.

She has a point. My prep team will have the authority to either make the citizens of Panem fall in love with what I wear, or laugh hysterically and make fun of me nonstop.

Evan and I are told to stand while they circle us like hungry sharks observing our every move. I just stand and stare straight ahead while they exchange a few comments to each other, finally after all the observing, Gloss speaks.

"Loveable, easy to get along with." He says, referring to Evan. I guess they're already deciding our interview angles.

"I agree with the loveable part, but we don't want to make him look like a sweet career. How about loveable, but sarcastic?" Axin says. The other mentors agree with a nod of their heads.

"For her, I think she should play a mischievous, ruthless killer." Beryl says. I let out a sigh of relief, thank god I have mentors that know what persona best fits a tribute, by just looking at them.

After some discussing, we're served lunch. Mashed potatoes roast beef, string beans pile onto my plates and I dig in immediately. The food my mother prepares taste great, but this Capitol food is just fancier. When everyone scrapes their plate clean, our mentors take us to the den car where we will watch the reapings.

I sit down in between Cashmere and Axin, avoiding Evan. When it begins, Caesar Flickerman who is dressed in lime green this year and Claudius Templesmith appear and greet everyone, they talk about how it's time for the 61st Huger Games. Finally, after a lot of chattering, they show the district reapings.

Our district is up first and I watch as Morraina walks over to the girs' reaping bowl, speaking of Morraina she has decided switched to annoying mode.

Occasionally, she would say "I look so good!" or "My wig is a little crooked there."

We watch as Morraina doesn't have time to finish reading the girl's name when another girl tries to volunteer. The camera focuses on the stage when the girl tries to let out a 'I volunteer' but the camera turns to me when I say it faster. I walk up to the stage confidently and look straight ahead in the distance. Morraina doesn't have time to announce the male tribute when Evan volunteers.

Evan looks at me as we watch him walk up to the stage, but I keep my eyes glued to the TV.

The other districts don't catch my attention except the careers, who will be potential allies. Usually, the tributes from the wealthy district team up in the games.

The tributes from district two don't really look intimidating. The boy Caiden is tall and skinny, but has some muscles. The girl Vinera seems fit, like me and she wears a bored expression on her face. The tributes from district 2 will put up a hell of a fight, because the training in their district is strict. My father once told me that their training starts at 11 in the morning, and ends at 11 in the evening.

I also heard that the head trainer chooses the people who will volunteer. They may have more time to train, but I have much more experience. Out of all of the people in the entire training center in district one, I am one of the few people who have trained the longest.

The tributes from district four, don't look too bad. The boy Sebastian, has broad shoulders and stunning green eyes. The girl Marina, is the shortest out of all the careers, she's about 5'1 and has flowing chocolate brown hair.

The other tributes from poor districts are mostly bony from lack of food, and none of them look interesting.

After watching the reapings, I feel exhausted. I look over at the clock and see that it's 5 o'clock. The train is still moving, Morraina said that we'll probably arrive in the Capitol in two days.

I get up from my seat and ask an Avox to show me my room. When she does, I am amazed by what I see. I thought that the bed in my room was big, but it looks like I'll be sleeping in a triple king sized bed. At the push of a button, the closet will help you with the clothes. There's a big screen that delivers food in the blink of an eye. You speak into the mouthpiece and the food comes out ready to go.

After admiring my room, I get into my bed and fall asleep immediately.

**I want to give a special acknowledgement to **_**BeatsInAllegro **_**for giving me the idea of how training is in district 2. **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review! I promise I will try to update more frequently, so please tell me what you think **


	8. A Discussion That Changes Everything

**Thanks for the awesome reviews! They all inspired me to update! So please enjoy this new chapter **

I wake up and stretch my arms. I look at the clock hanging on the wall. It's 6'o clock in the morning. Great, what an early bird I am. I remember that I still have my leather jacket on, so I take it off and place it on the bed. Even though it's still early, I decide to take a shower.

I strip off my clothes and step into the shower. Once I'm in, I stare at all the lined up multi-colored buttons. I don't even know what each button does. I press random buttons until I finally get the hang of it, when I'm done I get out and step onto the mat that triggers hot air to dry my hair.

I grab a velvety, soft towel hanging on a rack and wrap it around my body. I walk out of the bathroom and over to the closet. Fortunately, the clothes in it aren't something Morraina would wear. Some are not bad at all, they're something I would definitely wear back in district one.

I fiddle with the touchpad device that helps me move the clothes around, so I can get a clear view of everything. I choose a grey t-shirt with the Panem seal printed on, and some green camo pants. I decide to wear the boots I already have on, since it matches with everything else.

I tie my hair up and walk out of my room. I plan on exploring the whole train, curious to know what else there is to it. I wander into what I think is the bar car and find Axin there helping himself to some champagne.

"What are you doing up this early?" he asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing. But most importantly, why are drinking in the morning?" I retort.

"The alcohol helps wake me up" He says taking a sip from the elegant glass.

"More like put you to sleep." I mutter, good thing he didn't hear me.

"I love the outfit," he says gesturing to what I'm wearing.

"Thanks. Enjoy your morning champagne" I say as I walk out.

I step into the dining car. I see avoxes posted at each corner. I start to wonder if they ever really get a chance to sleep, but I dismiss it since it's none of my business. I ask an avox to serve me some breakfast. She places a plate full of cinnamon rolls, fruits, sausage, and bread topped with goat cheese in front of me.

I take a bite of the sausage when the door slides open and Cashmere and Axin step in. Axin doesn't seem surprise to see me, but Cashmere is.

"Well, someone got an early start." She says cheerily.

I continue to eat until I scrape my plate clean. I ask the avox for another serving and Gloss comes in. He obviously still looks tired, and asks the avox for some coffee. Beryl arrives and stabs a bite size roll with her claw from one of the tureens and pops it into her mouth. I'm halfway done with my second serving when Evan arrives, and that's when the discussion starts.

"Find any potential allies?" asks Beryl looking at her claws.

"I want both from 2, and the boy from 4, I'm not sure about the girl though." I say.

"Don't make assumptions yet, wait until training. If she proves that she's worthy of the alliance, team up with her." Gloss says.

"I agree, we shouldn't underestimate her. Who knows what she is capable of." Evan says.

Suddenly, anger rushes through me. The fact that he volunteered, and messed up my whole plan of winning causes my blood to boil. Evan is my friend, he knew I wanted to partake in the games. Now that he has volunteered, I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should kill him, or leave it to someone else to do it. I made a promise to his mother that I'll try and keep him safe, but sometimes promises are just meant to be broken.

"I'm not underestimating her, I just think that she doesn't look like the killing type." I snap.

"Good, because in the games, never underestimate nor overestimate your enemies." Axin says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"He's right. In my games, the little 13 year old girl from district 8 turned out to be mischievous. In my victory interview, when Caesar played the clip of the games, I saw that she teamed up with most of the tributes just to slit their throats when they were asleep." Cashmere says.

"How did you win?" Evan asked. Idiot, we all know the answers and what Cashmere says next, proves I'm correct.

"Same way they did." She says gesturing to the other victors. Evan raises his eyebrows and Cashmere seems to notice.

"We won by killing the others." She says.

The train stops and Morraina comes in.

"We've come to a fuel stop. So you may go outside and take a breath of fresh air!" she squeals. I can't stop looking at her maroon wig, and how it bounces when she moves.

I decide to go outside like Morraina has suggested. Unaware of where we are, and what kind of wild animals may lie near, I take two butter knives with me before I step out.

From the sight of lush trees, I'm guessing we've stopped on the outskirts of district seven. I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see who it is. "Nice out here, huh?" Evan says while scanning the area. I feel like lunging at him and ripping his throat out with my hands, but I contain myself.

"Why did you volunteer?" I blurt out.

He looks around again, trying to avoid my question.

"I know you heard me, answer." I demand harshly.

"Maybe I want to win, too" He says looking me in the eyes.

"You're only seventeen! Why couldn't you just wait until next year! You know I've been wanting to volunteer ever since we first met, and you've decided to screw it all up!" I yell.

"You know what Amethine. You're so selfish, you-"

"Selfish! Excuse me? How am I selfish? You know what, I think I'm going to have to break that promise I made to your mother" I spat.

"What promise?" He asks confused.

"About keeping you safe. Teaming up with you. But I guess since I'm selfish, I'm not going to. The games is about killing your way to victory, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." I hiss, stomping off back to the train.

"Even if it means killing you." I add. I don't bother seeing his expression, and once I step into the train, my mentors know something is wrong.

"What happened?" Gloss asked.

"Nothing. Nothing happened." I say as I take a seat.

"We know everything, Amethine." Beryl says smirking.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"You planned on volunteering your whole life and the fact that one of your close friends volunteered as well, angers you." Axin says.

"Also, we're good friends with Glen, your spear throwing trainer. He always talks about how you get so excited to volunteer and about how you threaten other girls who plan on volunteering." Says Gloss.

"I have every right to be mad. Evan knows how much this means to me and he ruined it." I say.

"Wait, speaking of Evan where is he?" Cashmere asks.

"Still outside." I say

"You're right. You have every right to be angry, but the question is, is it worth it?" Beryl says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Do you want to spend his last moments, being mad at him?" Cashmere asks.

"What do you mean 'his last moments'?" I ask.

"Amethine, this is the games. Only one person can live, and well, we've all decided that it's going to be you." Axin says. I look at all their grinning faces and try to replay the whole conversation over again.

I finally realized what they mean. They have favored me over Evan, and I'm the tribute that they're going to help keep alive.

**Ooooh, what's this? The mentors chose to help keep Amethine alive when she enters the arena? Let me know what you think in a review Also, which one of the mentors is your favorite?**


	9. Playing the Favorite

"So are you guys saying, that I'm your favorite?" I ask, still slightly confused.

"Yeah, I mean you're the one who has confidence about winning. We see a very good potential in you. The boy though, is too quiet. Doesn't seem like he believes in himself." Beryl says.

"He's not the cocky type." I say, suddenly defending Evan.

"I thought you're angry at him. Now, you're standing up for him? Make up your mind for God's sakes." Cashmere says.

"One, I am still very angry at him. Two, regardless he is my friend." I say suddenly amused at my own words. But I stand by what I just said. Evan is still my friend, and I need to remember that, but everytime I try to remind myself of what a good friendship we have, the image of him volunteering and walking up to the stage appears and causes me to get angry all over again.

"True, but in the games everything changes. So you either win, or die trying to play Ms. Nice Girl." Gloss says.

"You've been wanting to do this your whole life right? If so, don't let anything, or _anyone _get in your way." Beryl says.

I have to admit, I agree with Beryl, or all of them in fact. I have dreamed about this, and I shouldn't let one person take it away from me. Although I know I should just do what's necessary to win, a voice in my head keeps telling me to be civil with Evan, because he is my friend.

Before anyone else can say anything else, Evan walks in and plops down on the chair next to me. My mentors avoid making eye contact with him, probably because they feel guilty about not choosing him as the favorite. I glare at all of them, not because they think Evan doesn't have what it takes to win, but because they're going to lie to his face the whole trip.

"Finally! We can continue on our trip to the Capitol!" Morraina says. God, I hope that's all she has to say, because I am not in the mood for her annoying voice. Unfortunately, my wish didn't come true.

"Now, why don't we talk about the games!" She says sitting down. Axin rolls his eyes and Beryl gives that 'Here we go again' look. I try to do everyone a favor when I say. "We already talked about our strategies, so we're all set."

Morraina doesn't buy it and insists we go over everything again. "I remember the tributes two years ago, they didn't listen to my advice on going over their strategies, and look at them now. They're not here, aren't they?" She says looking around.

"No Morraina, if you're saying that they died because they didn't follow your instructions, you're wrong. They probably died because you annoyed them to death!" I say throwing my hands up in exasperation.

This causes my mentors, and even Evan to let out a series of giggles and laughter. Morraina looks at me with her mouth hanging open in awe and I just shrug. After closing her mouth, she changes her expression to a calm tone.

"That was very rude Amethine, and if you guys plan to have her portray that kind of attitude to the entire Panem, then she won't get sponsors at all." Morraina says crossing her arms.

Gloss lets out a laugh again. "Morraina, the Capitol citizens will just love a feisty tribute, and it will earn her some sponsors. You know, I'm grateful you're only an escort, because if you were a mentor, your tributes will die once they jump off their pedestal." He says, and this time everyone and myself burst into a fit of laughter. Morraina as a mentor is hard to imagine. I can't picture her coaching a tribute on what to do. For the interview, she'll probably have the stylist make a Capitol dress that'll surely make a tribute look stupid.

"I'll have you know that I would make an absolutely great mentor." Morraina says in her defense. I'm impressed at the fact that she has kept a calm composure after what Gloss just said.

"Please don't try and prove it." Beryl says tiredly.

"Fine, enough talk of that. Amethine, do you know how to act during your interview?" asks Morraina.

"Ruthless, cunning, feisty." I say. I can tell by her expression that she disagrees with the angle.

"How about a sexy, polite girl?" she suggests. I turn to my mentors and mouth 'Hell no' and they all laugh. "What's wrong with that?" Morraina asks, she knows I am never going to use that.

"I just can't pull that off." I say. She turns her attention away from me and focuses on Evan now. "How about you, Evan? What is your angle?"

Evan, who is helping himself to some milk and bread looks up at Morraina. Realizing that everyone is looking at him, waiting for his answer he wipes his mouth with a napkin shyly and clears his throat.

"Sarcastic."

"What is wrong with you people? Why do these children have to play mean angles?" Morraina asks the mentors.

"Everyone loves a spicy tribute that has confidence in himself." Cashmere says. She looks at me and says "Or herself."

"Besides, why would a career act sexy and polite?" Axin says and we all nod in agreement. "I was just trying to help." Morraina says, annoyed. "We appreciate your efforts Morraina, but just leave it to the mentors. Your job is to teach us how to be polite." I say, making up for what I said to her earlier.

"Thank you." she says.

"She's right. We're going to need you to train them on etiquette, Morraina." says Gloss. "I will be happy to." Morraina says, glad that she gets to do something that will help us.

I glance up at the clock. Apparently, they're all over the train in every room. On the wall, high up, I read 10:34.

"Can I have a piece of paper and a pencil?" I ask the nearest avox and she nods. She approaches me with what I requested and I thank her.

"What are you doing?" asks Beryl.

"Homework." I say and she stops asking questions.

_Tributes_ I jot down at the top of the page. I knit my eyebrows together in sheer concentration as I write down things about the tributes. Finally after 15 minutes of some scribbling, I look at what I wrote.

_Tributes_

_District 2:_

_Vinera- May be quick. Definitely one to keep an eye on. Seems to have a relationship with her district partner_

_Caiden- Wears a smirk of mischief on his face. Might be up to no good._

_District 3:_

_Electra- Skinny, but must have grown up in the wealthy section of district 3, judging by her fine clothes. Tries to keep a brave face, but deep down she is scared._

_Bolton- Mean. Doesn't seem to be fond of anyone, even Electra._

_District 4:_

_Marina- Looks like a sweet girl, but may just be acting to catch others off guard. __Keep tabs on her as well__._

_Sebastian- Looks like any typical career. Strong, muscular, but he may have a genuine personality._

_District 5:_

_Augustina- Looks sweet, but scared that she is entering the games. Might be using her kindness to win over potential allies._

_Marcus- Looks artistic, may have a great talent for painting. Will probably use camouflage as defense._

_District 6:_

_Latteine- Slim and underfed. Has a big family. Cares less about what others think of her. _

_Nick- Stubborn. Doesn't like to be controlled. Will probably not want any allies._

_District 7:_

_Sequoia- Has a big amount of hatred towards the Capitol. Always has a smug look on her face._

_Tanner- Calm and cool. Doesn't look scared about joining the games, but in the inside, he is scared to death._

_District 8:_

_Amber- Quiet, doesn't talk to anyone. Only speaks when necessary._

_Derek- Excellent liar. Knows how to create a mask, so he can hide how he really feels. What gives him away is the look in his eyes._

_District 9:_

_Terraine- Has a habit of biting her nails. Has a psycho look in her eyes and snaps her head from side to side as if they were someone behind her._

_Gary- Seems to be humble. Has a warm smile and seems kind._

_District 10:_

_Bonnie- Likes to intimidate others. Has a big figure and seems rude._

_Timothy- Silent. Barely speaks._

_District 11:_

_Maggie- May be good at climbing trees from days of working on the field. Looks swift and seems to be caring_

_Feltrix- Arrogant. Doesn't follow orders, which leads him into trouble. Loves seeing others get angry._

_District 12:_

_Mina- Depressed. Seems to not feel like talking or doing anything at all._

_Calvin- Provides for his family. Probably the oldest among his siblings, and may have a soft spot for kids._

All of these predictions are based on what I see at the reaping. Thank god the trainers back at 1 stressed the fact that it will help a lot when you learn how to read body language. I'm good at reading body language, and no doubt it will be an advantage in the games.

"Here, tell me what you think." I say passing it over to Beryl. She takes it and goes over it she nods, clearly impressed. "It looks good." she says and passes it to Cashmere.

"No, the boy from 3 doesn't look mean." she says. "Well I guess we'll find out." I say. Cashmere agrees and gives it to Axin who reads it and passes it to Gloss. I watch as his eyebrows knit together as he looks closely at the words I wrote. When he's done he looks up at me and smiles.

"What do you guys think?" I ask.

"A plus" they all say at the same time.

**That was a description of all of the tributes! Submit a review telling me what you think of the chapter, and also about which tribute you think looks interesting I hope you all loved it! If you don't, sorry, submit a review telling me why.**

**So, I gotta go! Until the next update Before I forget, **_**Erudite Dauntless Girl, **_**who does Sequoia remind you of?**


	10. Capitol Fever

**I'm glad you all love the previous chapter, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I know you're all dying for Amethine to get into the arena, so I'm sorry for the long wait, I'm also sorry for not updating quickly. I'll try and speed it up because I already have the arena idea, Amethine's chariot outfit, and her interview dress all planned out! Please enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think (:**

"Amethine, it's time to wake up! We will be arriving at the Capitol in an hour and you don't want to present yourself looking like that! Come on, get up!" exclaims Morraina.

I groan and cover my face with a pillow, although it doesn't seem to make her go away. "Get up! You need to get dressed and start eating!" she says. I hit her with the pillow causing her wig to tilt to the left.

"Some people just don't have manners. Amethine, get up now." She says more seriously as she straightens her wig. When I don't move she walks out of the room muttering 'Out of all my years of escorting, she is by far the rudest.' to herself. I sit up and rub my eyes. I take a glance at the clock. _10:02._

I take a shower and put on a maroon blouse along with a pair of skinny jeans I found in the closet. I wear my leather jacket over the blouse and wear the brown leather boots that was also in the closet, I tie my hair into a ponytail. When I'm done getting ready, I walk into the dining car. Beryl, Cashmere, and Morraina are the only ones sitting at the table.

I walk over to the serving table and fill my plate with mini apple turnovers, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I sit down next to Beryl and eat while an Avox pours me some orange juice. Beryl, Cashmere, and Morraina are deep in conversation about the victor from district 4- Finnick Odair.

"I love his hair!" Morraina says.

"How about that smile, it's so pearly white." I hear Cashmere say.

I don't bother joining their conversation and just continue eating my breakfast in silence. Gloss comes in and asks the Avox for hot cocoa and sits next to Morraina. He sees the three of them gathered together and turns to me with his eyebrows raised.

"Finnick Odair." I say and he nods.

The door slides open and Evan walks in. He says good morning to Gloss and asks the Avox to serve him breakfast, trying to avoid making eye contact with me. I ignore him and take a sip of my orange juice when Axin arrives with a glass of some type of alcohol in his hands, which is no surprise there.

"Good morning everyone." he says, surprisingly sober. Yesterday after he read the descriptions of the tributes I wrote he drank like there was no tomorrow, it amuses me that he doesn't look like he's suffering from a hangover.

"Hangover?" I ask. This earns a light laugh out of both Axin and Gloss. I look at them expectantly.

"You see, Axin here has been a drinker for a long time, so hangovers aren't a big problem to him anymore." Gloss explains. I look at Axin and he nods.

"I bet a lot of people envy you for that." I say.

"Yeah, maybe. You excited on seeing the Capitol?" he asks, changing the subject.

I shrug and say. "I guess. I can't wait to start training."

"What else are you good at besides handling weapons?" Axin asks.

"Hand to hand combat, and some gymnastics." I say. In my second year of training, my mother wanted me to try gymnastics, probably to take my mind off training. The first day of my enrollment was fun and by the second month, I already mastered most of the complicated moves. But I told my mother that I wanted to quit to continue with my training and she respectfully allowed me to do so.

"Good, how about survival skills?" Gloss asks.

"Snares, making fires, knot-tying, poison berries identification, and medicinal plants identification" I say.

"You're really prepared, huh?" Axin says while he downs the liquid in his glass.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be? It's the hunger games." I say. This catches Evan's attention and when I look at him, he turns away quickly. I turn to Morraina, Cashmere, and Beryl who are still talking about the 'ever-so-dreamy' Finnick. I guess I'll just chat with Gloss and Axin until we arrive in the Capitol.

"Axin, how was your games like?" I ask.

"Crazy. The arena was creepy and the mutts were horrible." he says as he shudders.

"How was the arena like?" I ask, suddenly interested.

"One section was a maze, another one was like a beach, and the last one had a rocky terrain." he says.

"How about you Gloss?"

"The Gamemakers wanted to make the arena look like paradise so we forget we were even in the games, but as we moved around we found out that there were a lot of horrors behind the peaceful place. One time, my allies and I were spying on a tribute, we watched as she was petting a deer. The deer was friendly, then when she turned to continue on her hike, it rammed into her and mauled her death." he says.

"We're here." Axin says looking at the window. I turn and walk to it, the buildings are huge, some are domes and others towers. I gaze at the marvelous view when the windows go black. We're entering the train station where Capitol citizens will be waiting to see us.

"Evan, stand next to her." Beryl says, Evan does as told and peers out the window. The lights come back and a big crowd full of colors are almost blinding. I look at all the citizens with their funny-shaped wigs, different colored skin, and surgerically altered faces.

I cross my arms and smirk at all of them, causing them to get wild. Some try to touch the window, but Peacekeepers are there to restrain them from doing such a thing. Some people are jumping up and down and others are clapping. Evan waves kindly and the girls and women in the crowd blow kisses at him.

Morraina ushers both of us out of the train and the second we step onto the pavement, the screams from the crowd hurt my ears. People try to touch us, but Peacekeepers are on both sides, in front, and behind us. I continue to smirk and Evan continues waving.

We're guided into a really tall building. It's the training center where all the tributes are going to train and live in for the next six days or so. We walk through the lobby which is very elegant. We then get into an elevator and Morraina punches the button marked _T_ probably for Training center.

The elevator is bigger compared to the one in the Justice Building back home. The door slides open and we walk out to see the training vicinity, I wander around the spacious room admiring all the weapons on the shelves and the dummies that resemble the human body. While my mentors have a conversation along with Evan, I find the spear throwing station and pick up a random spear. I get into position and throw, I look to see that it has landed on the bullseye like I planned.

"Before you decide to destroy the dummies before training even starts, let's go check out the living quarters you'll both be staying in." says Beryl. I follow them into another elevator, similar to the one we just got out of.

"Now, training starts tomorrow. You are to ride this elevator to get back to your floor. When training is over you just press the button with the number 1 on it. Why that number you might ask? Well it's because you're from district 1. Now let me just press the button here." Morraina says as she pushes the button.

The place I will be staying in is amazing. Three times better than the train. Real, beautiful plants stand tall in the exotic vases that hold them, comfortable plush chairs in the den, and lovely glasses on the dining table.

"I know, beautiful isn't it?" Morraina says.

"It is really nice." I say.

"Very classy." Evan says.

"Now let me show you your rooms." says Morraina. I look at my mentors who don't look too amused, probably due to years of mentoring, they've been here before and have seen the same thing, so it's no surprise to them. They all just sit in the den talking to each other, so Evan and I follow Morraina.

She leads us down a hall with purple doors and a table holding a vase full of flowers, at the end of the hall is a couch. She stops at the third door on the left side and turns to me.

"This is your room." She motions to the door. "Feel free to look inside." Across my room is Evan's, so I just walk into my room. I thought my room in the train was nice, but this one is much better. I'm speechless as I look around, probably because of Capitol fever, the feeling you get when you see all the wonders of the Capitol. I have to admit, I am a little envious of the Capitol, for all the nice things they have that we don't have in my district.

My bed is big and soft, with its silk blankets and bed sheet. The closet is the same like the one in the train, but bigger. The machine that delivers food from the sound of your voice is the same and the bathroom is the same, the only thing different is that there are more buttons in the shower.

I walk out of my room and sit in the den with my mentors and Morraina. Evan is probably still in his room, admiring everything.

"When Evan comes out of his room, Morraina will take you guys to the remake center. Remember what I told you on the train, do not scream or fight when they try to make you look presentable. You will be meeting your prep team and stylist so be nice, alright? I think Evan will do okay, but I'm kinda worried about you." Cashmere says which causes me to roll my eyes.

Evan walks over to us and sits down next to Gloss. Cashmere tells him what she just told me, and we make our way to the elevator. Morraina tells us to behave and be polite to our prep team. She stops in front of green double doors and tells us that we must enter without her, so we say goodbye. Evan and I step inside not speaking to each other. I'm anxious to see what these Capitol people are going to do with me.

**How was that? I really wanted to show Beryl and Cashmere's girly-ish side when I wrote that whole Finnick thing, so was it good? Let me know! In the next chapter you will meet Amethine's prep team and stylist. The tribute parade will be in the next chapter as well, and you will find out what Amethine will be wearing! Please don't forget to leave a review. (: Thanks for reading :D**


	11. Chariot Ride

**Thank you guys for those awesome feedbacks on the last chapter! I was really excited on writing this chapter, so I hope you love it. You'll not only know what Amethine and Evan will wear for the chariot ride, but I will give descriptions on some, not all, of the other tributes as well. **

**Enjoy!**

We step through the doors and the first word that pops into my head is _test lab._ There are metal counters where we are going to lay on while our prep team beautifies us. The metal counters make me feel as if I were a test monkey, and these Capitol people look like those mad scientists that conduct bizarre experiments.

A lady wearing a formal black and white suit approaches us. She's wearing a headpiece with a mic attached, she cradles the blue touch screen clipboard in her hands. Her hair, is like a soft tone of orange and is tucked into a professional bun.

"Both tributes from 3, 5, 9, and 11 are currently in remake session. Hold on, we have another pair of tributes who have just entered." she says into the mic, then she looks at the both of us.

"What district are you guys from?" she asks.

"1" Evan says.

"Both from district 1 have just arrived, I will lead them to their prep team." she says into the mic. She must be in charge of tracking all the tributes who have arrived.

"Please follow me." she tells us. We walk behind her and pass by a lot of dividers, seeing the shadows of a body laying down, and three other figures gathered around. I wince when I hear some sort of rip followed by a scream from a female.

We're escorted to a divider in the corner of the room. The lady knocks on the divider and says "We have one of your tributes!" The divider opens up and a woman with a purple wig dressed in a white cloak, similar to a doctor's smiles at us.

"Sir, this is where you will be remade." our escort says. Evan nods and walks in.

"This is where you will be remade." she tells me, leading me to the divider not too far away from Evan's. She knocks and says "We have your tribute!" again. The door slides open and I see a woman with a wavy, shoulder-length, yellow wig. The color of her wig matches the color of a ripened corn. She is wearing a white, long cloak too and her lips are an evergreen color.

She smiles at the lady who brought me here. "Well, have fun! May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor." the woman escort says and walks away. I turn to the lady who will be a part of my prep team and see the big smile on her lips.

"You are a beautiful girl! My name is Demeter and I will be apart of your prep team!" she says enthusiastically. I smile back.

"Hello, my name is Amethine." I say. Her eyes light up as if what I said was the most joyful thing in the world.

"My, what a lovely name." Demeter says.

"Demeter, are you going to bring her in?" a male voice calls from inside.

"Yes, I am such an idiot. Come on in, we're going to make you beautiful!" she says.

"Demeter, she is already beautiful we're just going to perfect her flaws." a man with a silver, curly wig and black eye shadow, and lipstick says.

"You guys are making things sound wrong! When you say 'we're just going to perfect her flaws' it sounds like you're saying there's something wrong with her. Just say 'we're going to make a few adjustments." I turn my head and see a young woman with long, straight sky blue hair that stops at her waist. Unlike the others, her hair isn't a wig, it looks natural except for the color. She has peach colored make-up on.

She smiles at me and I smile back. She extends her hand and says "Hi, I'm Inepta." I grab her hand and give her a soft, gentle shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Amethine." I say.

"We need you to undress." Demeter says. I'm quite uncomfortable with this. Here I am about to strip down butt naked for three people I don't even know. Inepta must have seen the expression on my face because she looks at me with concern.

"Are you nervous? Honey, please don't be! We've seen naked people for fifteen years, so it's okay. We need you to do this so we'll know what to work on." she says.

"If it makes you feel better, we'll step out for a moment." the man with the silver wig says. "By the way, I'm Laris." he adds. I nod and smile at him. His offer doesn't make the situation comfortable, but it seems like a good idea.

"That will be nice." I say. They nod and walk out. Demeter sticks her head back in and says "We'll be right outside." I nod and close the divider.

I want to get this over with, so I get out of my clothes and throw them on the floor, I slip the boots off and leave them next to my clothes. I tell my prep team I'm ready and they walk in. They circle me like sharks, the same thing my mentors did on the train.

"Waxing, body gloss, skin softener, eye color shiner, hair treatment, and some other light touch ups." Demeter says. Inepta and Laris nod their agreement and have me put on something similar to a hospital gown. They tell me to lie down on the metal counter. I feel the cold metal under my skin and lay flat on my back.

Laris takes the ponytail out of my hair, and Inepta hoses down my legs and arms. Demeter spreads some white moisturizer on my face while Inepta applies some type of gooey, clear substance on my legs and arms. Laris disappears into the back and comes back with some eye drops, when he adds a few drops into my eyes, I feel a little stinging sensation for a short period of time.

"What is that stuff for?" I ask.

"It's to make your eyes shiny, it really brings out the color in them." Laris says.

Inepta leaves after she applies the goo on every inch of my legs and arms and returns with some wax strips in her hands. I gulp, '_Oh no'_ I think to myself. I've tried seeing my mother get her legs waxed, and from what I've seen her do when that wax strip is yanked, I'm scared to get waxed myself. Well, not like horror movie terrified, but the anxious terrified. I want this to be over as soon as possible.

"Now, this might hurt just a little." Inepta says soothingly.

"A little? I've seen my mother get her legs waxed, and from her reaction, I doubt that it'll hurt just a little." I say harshly. I suddenly remembered what Cashmere told me about being kind to my prep team, so I smile at Inepta and say "But, I'll be alright." and she smiles back and places the wax strips on my legs. She runs her hands over the strips, making sure they stick to my skin firmly.

She pulls the strip off quickly, and I manage to suppress a yelp. She gives me a nod, appreciating my obedience and places another was strip on the other side of the same leg, she pulls and I just wince. This goes on for about ten minutes and when it ends, she hoses my legs down again. Laris coats my hair in some type of orange liquid and massages my scalp. He then brushes my hair and runs his finger through it.

"Your hair is now silky soft, my dear. Not that it never was silky soft, it's just that-" he tries to explain. I'm guessing he thinks he said something offensive, and fears I'm going to rip his throat out, so I calm him down.

"It's okay Laris, I understand what you mean. Thank you for making my hair lovely." I tell him. He lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank god, I thought for a moment there that you were going to bark at me." he says, I laugh at this.

"No worries, I don't really care that much about my hair or my looks." I say.

"Really? Darling, you look like a girly girl." he tells me.

"I'm not. I only care about skills." I say.

"Well, I'm positive that you'll win. We all are, in fact."

"It's true." Demeter adds.

"Yes, we have no doubts what so ever." Inepta says.

"Thank you all. I'm sure you will be famous for being the prep team of a victor." I say, causing them to giggle.

"Oh, we have been the prep team of a victor." Laris says.

"Who?" I ask, it must be one of my mentors, possibly Axin. Since he won his games seven years ago.

"What's his name again? Hmm, I got it! Axinite. Yes, Axinite, otherwise known as Axin. Is he your mentor?" Demeter asks.

"Yeah, he is. Did you guys watch his games?" I ask, I don't remember Axin's games clearly.

"Yes, we did. Poor guy. He shared a great friendship with his allies, and when he watched them die, one by one, he took it pretty hard." Inepta says in a sympathetic voice. This explains the drinking. Due to years of drinking all the time, the hangovers fade away. But I think he has toned the drinking down a little. Suddenly, Shine's voice plays in my head.

_Now, remember you can't develop any friendships with your allies, so distance yourself as possible. Alright?_

Hearing about Axin's games, proves that I should take Shine's advice seriously.

Shine, Reina, Amethyst, Geode, Garnet, my parents. I miss them. I wonder what they're doing right now. The time zone here in the Capitol and back in district 1 might be different, so they'll either be sleeping or waking up right this minute.

Demeter wipes the moisturizer away with a lilac scented wipe. Laris combs my hair one last time and Inepta sprays something on my legs and arms.

"All done! You look marvelous, sweetie!" Laris squeals. I look at my legs and hands, and they look shiny. I feel like I'm glowing. I feel radiant.

"It's time to meet your stylist!" Demeter say excitedly.

"You are going to love her. Her name is Priney Young." Inepta says.

Still in my hospital gown, the three of them lead me out to the other side of the room. At first, I question why we're standing in front of a plain wall, but my curiosity vanishes when the wall suddenly slides open. They bring me inside what looks like a lobby. We stand in front of the receptionist.

"District 1 female." Inepta tells him.

"Room 317." he tells us, we thank him and go to our assigned room. In front of the door, next to the knob is a scanner. They all place their thumbs on it and a green check appears, followed by a beep. I hear the door unlock, Laris opens the door and we all walk in.

"Priney! We have your lovely tribute!" Demeter calls.

The place is luxurious. There are three doors to the left and a lot of comfy-looking couches in the living room. Next to the couches are square tables with buttons on the legs.

One of the doors open and I see a young woman with yellow corkscrew curls tinted with gold glitters. She has perfect almond shaped, crystal blue enhanced eyes, which you always find yourself staring into, just like what I'm doing right now. On the right side of her face, starting from above her eyebrows down the side of her lips is covered in a gold- tattooed pattern. Covering her tan skin is a yellow lacey dress that matches her wig, along with gold heels.

"Hello there! My name is Priney Young." she says as she embraces me. Even though I didn't expect it, I hug her back.

"I'm Amethine." I say.

"You are a beautiful girl!" she says looking me up and down.

"Thank you." I say with a warm smile.

"Demeter, Inepta, and Laris thank you for your help. You may go now, I'm just going to talk to Amethine for a while. I'll call you if I need your assistance." she says to the trio.

They nod and walk out of the room, leaving me and Priney alone.

"Come, let's sit." she tells me.

We make our way over to couches and sit on the couch. She takes the red plush chair, and I sit on the green recliner across from her.

"Okay, so obviously we don't need to get a lot of work done since your prep team took care of everything, and your natural beauty will be a great advantage. We might just apply some light touches of make-up for the tribute parade, but not too much to make you unrecognizable." Priney says.

"Are you hungry?" Before I answer, she leans down and presses one of the buttons on the leg of the table. A plate with strawberries rises up. So that's what the buttons are for. She picks the plate up and puts it in front me, I smile at her and take a few strawberries and she puts the plate back on the table.

"Do you like it here in the Capitol?" she asks.

I nod my head. "I like it here very much, I'm not sure I want to go back home when I win." I say. She laughs.

"I love your confidence! So how long have you trained for the games?"

"Twelve years."

Her jaw drops. "Wow, that's more than a decade. I bet you will be the biggest threat in the arena."

"I think so, too." I agree.

"I watched your reaping. You had me surprised there, when that other girl was about to volunteer and you just yelled 'I volunteer!' I laughed at the girl's expression. Did you see it?" she asks, then she imitates the girl's glare and wrinkles her nose, I can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, her reaction was funny." I say when I stop laughing.

"Yes it was, now before we get carried away and waste time, let's discuss you chariot outfit. You know, I already know what your costume is going to based on." she says, I send her a puzzled look. She is really prepared.

"Your name!" she says cheerily. At first, I question this, but then I remember what my father told me one time.

_I named all of you after the gemstones I sold at the jewelry shop. Your name however, isn't a gemstone, it came from the gemstone Ametrine, but your mother and I thought that it wasn't right for a girl, so we altered it a little and named you Amethine. The Ametrine stone comes in a band of yellow and purple, a combination of the colors of Amethyst and Citrine._

My father is an expert at identifying different stones. Whenever a costumer asked what the name of the stone was, my father would tell them and give them a brief explanation about it.

"So is it going to be yellow and purple?" I ask.

"Not yellow, but gold and purple. Trust me, you'll love it. You will look stunning, along with your partner ofcourse. I'm going to call your prep team so they'll get your hair and make-up done, and I will help you into your dress."

"Okay." I say.

She uses the touch screen pad that's on one of the tables to call my prep team over. They tell to me to take off the gown and give me some undergarments to put on. I'm not allowed to look in the mirror, while they do my hair and make-up. Priney told me I can see how I look, when everything is done. Staying true to her word, Priney has Demeter do a light touch-up of make-up, which consists of some light blush and a little cream. The orange stuff Laris put in my hair has added some volume to it, and I admire the nice curls at the end.

"You're all ready! All we need to do, is get you into your dress." says Priney. I'm told to close my eyes as they help me slip into the dress, which feels comfortable, I'm grateful it's not itchy, because I don't think I will be able to make throughout the night.

"She looks beautiful." Inepta says.

"A princess." says Laris.

"She will definitely catch everyone's attention." Demeter says.

All their comments make me want to open my eyes immediately, to see if what they're saying is true. Instead I ask calmly "Can I open my eyes, now?"

"Yes, you may, but hold on." Priney says. I feel them hold my arm gently, guiding me somewhere, probably to a mirror.

"You can open your eyes now."

I gasp at what I see in the mirror. The girl on the other side is beautiful. Instead of a regular t-shirt and sweatpants or gym shorts, she is wearing a lovely dress.

The dress Priney has made is a golden, strapless, floor length, ball gown. The end of the dress is slightly ruffled, giving it a good amount of volume. The neckline is covered in purple Ametrine gemstones, making it shine. My hair is amazing as well. Laris has left my hair down, he sweeps everything to my right, draping it over my right breast, behind my left hair, a braid starts right on the edge of my hairline down to where all of my hair is gathered. He has also sprayed some golden glitters in my hair, they're similar to the glitters in Priney's wig.

"Thank you, guys." I tell them.

"Honey, it's all you. We just did the make-up and dress, you worked the rest." Priney says, Demeter, Inepta, and Laris nod their agreement.

We exit the room and meet up with Evan and his prep team. Evan looks good too. He is wearing a golden suit encrusted with gold glitters everywhere, along with black accents. I didn't know our costumes would be matching colors, but we both look fantastic.

"You look great." Evan says. I decide to just be nice to him, I mean he is my friend. I should just be nice to him now, and not worry about what will happen in the future.

"Thank you, you look nice." I say, offering a friendly smile. He returns it and both of our prep team and stylist take us outside where all the chariots and horses are. We're kept behind a gigantic gate, which will open when our chariots are coming out. Most of the tributes are here already, but I know not everyone has arrived yet. We're led to our chariot, and our prep team add a few finishing touches.

"You both look amazing." Morraina says walking up to us. My mentors are here as well.

"Look at you guys, all golden and dolled up." says Axin, I'm surprised he doesn't have a glass of alcohol in his hands.

"You too will definitely win over the most sponsors!" Cashmere says.

"Win them over, got it?" Gloss asks the both of us, we nod.

"Your prep teams sure know what to do." Beryl says.

"Okay, time to get on the chariots!" Priney tells us. I look around at the other tributes. The tributes from 2 are wearing something similar to Peacekeeper uniforms. The girl- Vinera, is wearing the dress version of the uniform, but instead of white, it's silver. Her dress stops at her knees and has a three inch strap, her hair is pulled into a bun on top of her head. The boy Caiden is wearing is wearing something that looks like a Peacekeeper uniform mixed with a knight's armor.

They look at Evan and I and start whispering something to each other. I look over at the district 7 chariot, in most of the games I've watched, the district 7 tributes are dressed as trees every year, but it seems like this year, they have a new stylist. Sequoia's hair is tied into a perfect ponytail, a crown made out of vines sits on her head, her dress is green like the leaves on a tree. The end of her dress is cut into triangles, making her look like a tree fairy, Tanner is also wearing a crown made out of vines, and he looks like an elf. He's wearing a green vest over a green t-shirt and at the end of his vest, it's cut into triangles like his district partner. He wears a black belt at the waist and some green pants.

The tributes from four are dressed as mermaids. Marina is wearing big shells as a bra and her skirt is color turquoise and ends at her toes, it splits in the middle halfway between her knees and feet, resembling a mermaid's tail. Sebastian looks like a merman, he's shirtless, obviously his prep team wants to show off his muscles for the ladies. He is wearing a skirt, similar to Marina's. Mina and Calvin from 12, are wearing coal miner outfits and parts of their faces are covered in black dirt, to represent coal dust.

Evan gets on the chariot and offers me his hand. I grab it and he pulls me on. Our prep teams, stylists, and mentors tell us to smile for the crowd. Our horse, which has caramel colored fur and a black mane starts to move forward. The chariots all line up, starting with district 1 and ending with district 12.

The gates open and our horse moves forward in a steady pace. There our two sides, containing over 18,000 seats filled with screaming Capitol citizens. Some people scream our names, some blow kisses, and others throw money and roses at us. I wave a little and smirk, not bothering to play the girly girl act. Evan waves and leans over.

"Wave a little more. Trust me, they'll go crazy." he tells me. I consider this and wave again, and the scream increases. I continue to wave more, but stop as we come to a halt at the city circle. We look up at the balcony overlooking everything below and listen to President Snow's speech. He says the same thing every year, so I don't bother listening, and tune him out. When he finishes, our horse does a loop around the city circle, with the other district chariots behind. Halfway back I keep my hands at my sides and smirk.

We go back into the gigantic gates and once the district 12 chariot rolls in, the gate closes. Evan helps me off as our prep teams and stylists along with our mentors approach us.

"That was splendid, darling!" says Laris.

"You both did wonderful." Evan's stylist says.

"Great job!" Morraina says.

"Well done." Cashmere says. We thank all of them and they take us back to our living quarters. The elevator ride was full of praise for our actions during the ride, I'm actually surprised Morraina doesn't scold me for smirking.

Once we get on our floor, I say goodnight to everyone, including Evan, thank my prep team for making me look wonderful, and walk into my room. I take Priney's beautiful ball gown off, and change into a silky nightgown. I jump into my bed, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

**Did you like it! Don't keep your opinion to yourself, tell me. I hope you love Evan and Amethine's chariot costume, because I sure did. Okay, so about the district 7 tributes' outfit, it's cut into triangles at the end, looking like this: /\/\/\/\/\/\ in case you didn't get it. Anyways, thanks for reading and please leave a review! (:**


	12. Training: Day One

**I'm glad you guys you guys loved the tribute parade chapter! Thank you, to all the readers who submitted such wonderful reviews. This is the first day of training chapter! Will Amethine and Evan make allies? Find out.**

"Amethine, get up!" Morraina says. She doesn't even have to tell me twice, because I get up and about. She seems impressed, but surprised at the same time.

"That was easy. Well, good morning! Today is the first day of training!" she says.

"I know, that's why I got up quickly."

"Good. So go take a shower, get dressed, and eat because training starts at ten." she's about to walk out of my room, but she turns around before she walks out the door.

"I almost forgot there is your training outfit." she motions to the suit on the table next to my bed, and walks out.

I take a shower and put on the training suit. It's different than the one I wore back home. Back home, the suits have long sleeves, but this one has regular sleeves like a t-shirt. Majority of it is blue with red and gray stripes on the shoulder and back area. In a little square, _1_ is printed on the back.

I tie my hair into a tight and high ponytail and walk outside. I stack my plate with bacon, sausages, eggs, and mini turnovers. I sit at the table next to Morraina and start shoving the food into my mouth. I want to get to the training center early, so I hope Evan doesn't get ready at the speed of a turtle.

"You look like you're in a hurry." Morraina points out.

"I want to get to the training center early."

She hands an Avox her empty plate and walks into the hall. Maybe she's going to wake Evan up. I wonder why she always wakes me up first, probably because she knows I'm the harder one to rouse. To prove my point, Morraina walks back into the dining room with Evan right behind her, already in the training suit. He smiles at me and I smile back.

"Where are our mentors?" asks Evan.

"They still might be sleeping, I'll go wake them up." Morraina says, disappearing into the hall.

"Good morning." I say.

"Good morning."

"Excited for training?" he asks.

"Very."

"I can see that. You're swallowing your food at lightning speed." he says, I let out a light laugh.

"Geez woman, I need my beauty sleep." I turn around and see Axin stumbling into the living room area, still in his pajamas. Morraina looks at him with her arms crossed.

"You have two tributes waiting for some advice. You know why they're waiting for you? Because you're a mentor, and that's what mentors do!" Morraina says. Axin mocks her and tries to sleep on the couch. Morraina stomps back into the hallway and throws a door open. She pounds on another door, and I think I hear yelling.

A few minutes later, she comes back out with Beryl, Gloss, and Cashmere right behind her.

"She has a talent for waking people up." I say and Evan laughs.

Beryl says something to Axin and walks over to us. She sits down on the chair across me and an Avox brings her a plate filled with Capitol delicacies.

"Good morning, guys." she says, Evan and I greet her back.

"Let's just wait for everyone to gather at the table, then we'll talk about what you guys should do in training." she tells us. Gloss and Cashmere are trying to get Axin to get up and eat, and Morraina just yells at him.

Finally, Axin is convinced and sits at the table, next to Evan. Cashmere sits next to Beryl, and Gloss sits across Evan.

"So, what do you guys think we should do in training? Intimidate?" asks Evan.

"Yes, but try to not intimidate the other careers." says Beryl.

"Why?" asks Evan.

"Because they'll deem you as a threat, therefore they'll target you in the arena." I say. He nods, along with my mentors. I notice that Morraina isn't here, probably in her room.

"The other tributes are the ones you can really intimidate, but just tone it down a notch when you notice another fellow career tribute observing you." Axin says, rubbing her eyes.

"So do we approach the other careers and ask if they want to form an alliance, or do we wait for them to approach us?" I ask.

"Doesn't matter." says Cashmere.

Once I empty my plate, an Avox walks up to me and takes my plate gently. I smile at her and a small, but shy smile appears on her face. I finish the water in my glass and wait for Evan to finish his food. I look up at the clock. _9:48._ We better leave now. Fortunately, Evan is scooping up the last piece of meat on his plate.

"Can we leave, now?" I ask, once Evan finishes taking a drink from his cup.

"Sure. Remember what we told you." Cashmere says. I nod and stand up.

"Have fun." says Axin.

Evan and I get into the elevator, and I press the button marked _T_. The ride down to the training center takes less than three minutes, that's how fast it is. The doors slide open and we step out and make our way over to the middle, where a few people are gathered around.

"Do you think we should stick together?" Evan asks.

"No. Divide and conquer." I say and he nods his head.

The only tributes present are the ones from 2, 7 and 10. Vinera and Caiden look at me with grins on their faces. I smirk back, letting them know that I'm not scared of them.

When all of the other tributes arrive we are told to gather around and stand in a circle. Chalice, a middle aged woman with short, pixie cut black hair and ivory skin stands in the middle and tells us all about the different stations.

"Lastly, no fighting with the other tributes. There will plenty time for that in the arena. If you fight with another tribute, points from your score will be deducted." she concludes. I walk over to the spear throwing station and grab a spear with a leaf shaped blade, the trainer presses a button on a remote that makes the dummies move. I get into position and throw, I watch as the spear lands right on the bullseye of the head on one of the dummies.

The trainer hands me another spear. I take it and throw it at a dummy immediately. It hits the center of the heart on one dummy. Three dummies left. The trainer makes the dummies move faster. I grab a spear and focus on one dummy. Since it's moving faster, I should throw ahead of time, so when the dummy moves forward, it will meet the spear. I throw the spear, and it lodges on the heart of the dummy I was targeting.

I take the spear the trainer offers, I throw it and it hits the dummy in the middle of the head. After getting the hang of it, the last dummy was easy to take care of. Lands right on the heart. The trainer tells me I've done a great job.

"Impressive."

I turn my head and see Caiden, the boy from two smirking at me. I roll my eyes and grab a spear and start twirling it.

"So you can throw a spear and do circus tricks, nice."

"What do you want?" I ask.

"To ask if you would like to join the career alliance, what else?"

"What are your skills?" I ask sharply.

"What, you don't think I would be a good asset?" he asks, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"What are your skills?" I repeat.

He takes me to the shuriken station. I watch him throw the shuriken stars with ease and they lands on the dead center of the dummy.

"Is that good enough for you?" he asks when he's done.

"Are you going to ask my district partner to join?" I ask.

"Yeah, don't worry. Why don't you go ask the tributes from four if they want to join." he says. I roll my eyes. I can't believe I'm listening to an arrogant idiot. I make a mental note to remind myself to let him know in the future that he's not the boss of me.

I go to the archery station, where Marina hits all the targets with a bow and arrow. I pick up a decent sized bow and pick up an arrow from the organized rack. I load the bow, focus, and let it fly. It lands three inches above the bullseye. Not a perfect shot, but fatal. I grab another arrow and shoot, this one lands near the bullseye again. I turn to Marina and watch as the arrow she shoots lands right on the dead center.

"You're really good with a bow and arrow." I say. Her head snaps around to look at me, she seems surprised. As if I scared her or something.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." I say.

"No, it's fine. Thank you, though." she says with a shy smile on her face.

"You're welcome. Do you want to join the alliance? The career alliance?" I ask.

"Sure." she says casually.

"Great. I'm going to go and ask your district partner."

"Okay, do you mind if I tag along?" she asks.

"Ofcourse not, he is from your district after all."

We spot Marina's district partner- Sebastian stabbing a dummy with a trident. After three more stabs, he moves back about 6 feet and throws the trident. It buries itself on the chest. He pulls the trident out of the dummy, he turns around and sees us watching him.

"Hi Marina, what does she want?" he asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

Honestly, he's handsome. Muscular body, tan skin from swimming under the sun, he is handsome, but I'm not interested in falling in love with a tribute whose death may be caused by my own hands.

"I'm here to offer you a spot in the alliance."

He looks at Marina for a while, then nods his head.

"Well then, shall we train together?"

We walk over to the spear throwing station and I show off my throw. Marina smiles when I hit the bullseye and Sebastian just nods. Marina isn't really good with a spear, she only manages to get it to stick, but doesn't deliver any fatal shots. Sebastian though, is good, I guess it's from the similarity of throwing a trident.

I try to teach Marina to throw better, but just like Shine, she's unteachable. She insists on trying to get the hang of it on her own, so Sebastian and I just continue to throw spears. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around quickly.

"Looks like you've carried out orders." Vinera, from district two says, a smirk playing on her lips.

Sebastian and Marina glance at her, then they go back to throwing spears.

"Yeah, I did. What do you want?" I ask harshly. I don't trust Vinera already. There's something in her eyes that screams deception, and the smirk on her face reads mischief.

"What? I can't train with my fellow allies?" she asks innocently. I turn away from her and throw a spear. In the corner of my eye, I see her watching me so I pick up another spear and throw it. Bullseye. Vinera picks up a spear and throws it. It's a good throw, even though it didn't hit the center.

Chalice alerts everyone that it's time for lunch so Vinera, Sebastian, Marina, and I make our way to the cafeteria. I grab a tray and slide it on the metal bars, filling my plate with food. We find a table and sit, Caiden and Evan join us not long after. I watch Mina, the girl from 12 pass our table with her plate piled high with food. She has a big smile on her face, it's like the depressed girl I saw at the reaping has vanished because of this bounty of food.

"Who else should join the alliance?" Evan asks.

"I haven't been watching the others." Caiden says.

"How about the boy from 6?" asks Marina.

"Are you kidding me? He can't even lift a sword." Vinera snorts.

"What about you golden goddess?" Caiden asks. I look around the table to see who he's talking to, when I realize it's me.

"What?" I ask.

"I said-"

"I know what you asked, but why did you call me that?" I ask.

"Because that's the nickname Caesar Flickerman gave you for your chariot costume." he says.

"Which looked really weird, by the way." Vinera says. I glare at her and she shrugs.

"Are you jealous because the costume you wore, made you look like a guy rather than a princess?" I ask. Everyone at the table laughs. She scowls and eats her food in shame.

"After lunch, I'll watch the other tributes." I say.

Lunch ends and we walk out of the cafeteria. The other tributes make way for us, so we were the first ones to exit. We all go to the sword station, the sword was a little heavy but Evan helps me positioned my hands, so it would be easier to hold.

I swing at the dummy and create a deep slash on the abdomen. Evan beheads the dummy easily, Marina can't stab the dummy hard enough, Vinera tries to show off but is doing poorly, and Sebastian is doing okay. Heck, I think he's good at every weapon he touches.

The girl from three, Electra tries to impress us, but she can't even bring the sword over her shoulder. We all laugh at her failed attempt of getting in the alliance.

"Better luck next time." I say.

"If she even lives for a next time." Vinera snorts.

When she walks away, we go back to wielding the sword. I manage to decapitate the head, I hear the thump as it hits the floor and watch as he rolls over to Vinera. She jumps at it, and I laugh. She scowls at me and carries on with whatever she is doing.

"I think the boy from 9 seems alright." Caiden tells me.

I scan the room and find him, Gary the boy from district 9 at one of the survival skills station talking to a trainer. Caiden is right, Gary has a fit body and earlier I saw him conquer the obstacle course. The obstacle course is a station that has a complicated course. It takes up a lot of space, but it's a good thing the capacity of this room is enormous.

First, you have to swing through all the ropes that are attached to the ceiling and if you lose your grip, you'll land in the pool below. After the ropes, you have to scale a forty foot tree to reach the second level. The second level contains a narrow log, and if you fall trying to walk over it you'll splash into water. When you make it across the log, you pick up a metal rod which you need to use to get past three trainers.

The trainers have metal rods as well, and they're preventing you from completing the obstacle. You have to battle all the trainers and pretend to kill them by poking them with the rod in the areas that will cause fatality. The end of the rod isn't sharp, so the trainers and the tributes will be unharmed.

Gary had some trouble climbing the tree, but he was able to regain his footing and get to the top. When he reached the last section, he disarmed the first trainer and 'killed' him. The second trainer had put up a fight, but Gary managed to get past him and handled the third trainer with ease.

I nod. "I'll go over and invite him into the alliance." Caiden nods in response and goes back to sword fighting.

I walk over to Gary just as he finishes his conversation with the trainer. My prediction about him being friendly was correct because when he sees me, he offers a friendly smile. He may be kind, but there's a chance that it's all just a hoax. I've seen this strategy before in other games, when a tribute pretends to be friendly, earning others' trust, then when their back is turned they end up getting a cleaver lodged in the back of their neck.

"I saw how you completed the obstacle course."

"I think everyone saw." he says.

"Yeah, so what else can you do?"

"I'm alright with a slingshot."

We go to the slingshot station, and he was right. Just like me with a bow and arrow, he doesn't deliver perfect shots, but they are fatal. I've worked with slingshots back home and I am not too bad at it. We do a couple more shots until I suggest we go join the others.

I take Gary to sword station and he introduces himself. Marina looks like she has a crush on him, because she blushes whenever he talks to her. Caiden is an ass, making fun of Gary's face and telling him he doesn't trust him, although he's the one that insists we include him in the alliance.

Vinera drags us to the axe station, probably to show off her skills since the axe is her weapon of choice. She picks up a small axe and throws it to the dummy, it lands right on the chest. I see a smile creep up on Evan's face as he scans the axe he is holding. I guess it reminds him of Reina, who loves working with axes. They would throw axes together, and she would tease him about not having a strong arm like she does. He must really miss her.

I throw a few axes and get all the vital points. I grin when the axes lands right on the dummy's head. A sound catches my attention, and my head turns to the center of the room.

"Training is over. Good job on not causing any trouble and following all the rules and procedure. Training will start at the same time tomorrow, so be sure to attend. You may leave and return to your assigned living quarters. Have a good day, and may the odds be ever in your favor." says Chalice.

I pick up one more axe and throw it, it lands right on the gut. I enter the elevator with my allies. Evan and I get off first since we're district one.

"Bye golden goddess." Caiden says. His arm is slung over Vinera's shoulders. I was right, there is something going on between them. I smirk at him and step off with Evan by my side. Training is over, now I have to face my mentors.

**I'm sorry for not updating for a really long time. I was suffering from writer's block and didn't really have time. I hope this long chapter will serve as an apology. (: I am going to work on the next chapter and hopefully, it will up by Saturday to make up for the delay. Thank you for reading! Reviews are awesome, so don't hesitate to leave one :D**


	13. Training: Day Two

**To make up for the long wait, I want to post up two long chapters. I'll try to speed things up, because I know you guys want to Amethine get into the arena (:**

**First, I just want to respond to the awesome readers who reviewed! Well, most of you.**

**Allygrlfrnd: Thank you! Here is the update.**

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**Thanks again guys for these amazing reviews, except for that low life guest. I really appreciate it! (:**

**Okay, read on!**

* * *

"Are you both in the career alliance?" Cashmere asks.

Not even five minutes pass when we step out of the elevator when our mentors and Morraina ambush us and question us like we had committed a crime. Startled with all the questions, Morraina suggested we sit down and eat and discuss it at the same time. We agreed, and that is what we are doing right now.

"Yes."

"Who else did you guys recruit?" Beryl asks.

"The boy from 9, Gary." I say.

"You remember his name?" Gloss asks.

"Yeah, I wrote it down."

"We already know that Amethine has survival skills, so what about you Evan?" Axin asks.

"I okay with setting up snares." says Evan.

"That's it?" asks Cashmere.

"I can make fires and paint camouflage." he says.

"Those will be helpful, but it might not be enough. Tomorrow, visit some survival skills stations." Beryl says. Evan nods.

"You guys didn't tell me about my nickname." I say slicing the roast beef on my plate.

Beryl giggles a little and I shoot her a glare. Cashmere smiles, Gloss looks away, and Axin puts his head down.

"We watched the tribute parade when you went to bed. You guys had the best costumes." Gloss says.

"Don't worry darling, you were amazing!" Morraina says.

"Thanks." I mutter.

"So tomorrow, do we just play with the weapons again?" Evan asks.

"Yeah, but it won't hurt to learn something new." Beryl says.

Training ended at 6, and I want to relax. I finish my food and give it to an Avox. I decide to watch the recap of the tribute parade, since I didn't see it on the first night.

I walk into the den and sit on the couch. I ask an Avox to bring me a glass of water, and when she sets it down I turn the big screen on with the universal remote.

"The tribute parade is one of the most exciting moments, next to the games isn't it Claudius?" asks Caesar.

"Yes it is. I love seeing the different costumes that the tributes have on." Claudius replies.

"There they are!" Caesar exclaims. I see our chariot roll out of the gigantic gates followed by district 2, and the other chariots. I look at my blank face, and Evan's friendly smile.

"District 1- Luxury. Now look at those lovely costumes!" Caesar exclaims.

"The glitters really represent the items that their district makes." Claudius say while nodding.

"She looks like a goddess. A golden goddess." Caesar says, observing the chariots.

After watching everything, I turn it off. I drink all of the water and place it back on the table. I stretch my feet out and rest my hands behind my head. I close my eyes.

"Amethine!" Morraina calls. Dammit. I was so close to falling asleep.

"Yes?"

"Come over here please." she says. I walk over to the table, where everyone is still sitting.

"Do you think we should play a game of 'never have I ever'?" Cashmere asks. Axin and Gloss shake their heads, urging me to say no and Beryl and Morraina nod, urging me to say yes.

"How do you play?" I ask.

"We fill our cups with wine, and then-"

"Wait, wine?" I ask. Cashmere nods eagerly.

"It's okay dear, you guys could have some. I'm sure it won't be a problem. It's just for one night." Morraina says. I have tasted wine before, but on accident. My mom left her glass on the counter one day when I came home from training. I didn't know it was wine, because it was in a regular glass cup. When I drank it I tried to spit it out when I realized that it wasn't juice, but I swallowed it. It tastes bitter, but there was a tinge of sweet grape in it.

"Each of us gets a glass and we fill it with wine. We go around the table and everyone says something that they've never done, and if you have done it then you need to finish the wine in your glass. The last person to get drunk wins." Cashmere says.

"So do you want to play?" Beryl asks.

"Uhh-"

"She'll play! Yay! Gloss and Axin, don't you dare pout. You two said that it's up to Amethine and she wants to play!" Morraina says. I glare at her and she flashes an innocent smile. Everyone else ignores the fact that _I _didn't choose to play.

I sigh and sit down. Morraina has an Avox fill our elegant glasses with wine.

"Can you please make it full?" Morraina asks. I roll my eyes. I wonder who will win. I say it's either Evan or me that's going to be sober for the night.

"I'll go first. Never have I ever hated my district partner." Beryl says. Everyone looks at me. Even Evan. I sigh and down the wine. I grimace when I taste the bitterness of the liquid and everyone laughs. Evan sends me a puzzled look.

"Okay first off, I didn't hate him. I was just mad with him volunteering." I clarified. An Avox refills my cup.

"Never have I ever kissed Axin." says Cashmere. I grin and look around the table. My eyes widen when Beryl is the one finishing the wine in her glass.

"You kissed Axin?" Evan asks, before I can. Beryl nods, and I see her blushing.

"Yeah, I did. Give me a break, we were both drunk at this party here in the Capitol." she says to her defense. I look at Axin and he nods.

"Okay, my turn. Never have I ever worn a bra." Axin says. The boys have triumphant grin on their faces while Morraina, Beryl, Cashmere, and I finish the wine in our glass, an Avox refills it shortly after.

"Never have I ever kissed a boy." Gloss says with an evil smile.

"You are both sexists." I say. Cashmere, Beryl, and Morraina finish the wine in their glass. Thankfully, I haven't kissed a boy. I'm too busy with training that I don't have time, and also because I don't want to have a love life. I think there are things that are more important than boys.

"My turn. Never have I ever killed anyone." I say. Everyone except Evan, Morraina, and I finish their wine.

"Never have I ever been to the Capitol twice." Evan says. I give him a high-five, because we're the only ones who don't have to finish our wine.

"Never have I ever lived in any of the districts." Morraina says. Everyone except her, downs their wine.

We do this about fifteen more times and Evan wins. Beryl was the first to get drunk, Cashmere second, then Gloss, Morraina, Axin, me, and then Evan. I feel like my head is pounding, and the whole world is disoriented. I fall trying to stand up from my chair and an Avox helps me stand and leads me to my room with a supportive hand.

"Good night!" Beryl says as we're halfway to the hall.

"That's what it feels like to drink, sweetheart." Axin calls.

"Night, don't let the drunk bugs bite!" Cashmere yells.

"Thank you." I slur when she helps me get into my bed. She nods and covers me with the blanket. She exits and I fall asleep.

* * *

"Get up!" Morraina says. What a welcoming greeting.

The effects of a hangover are sinking in and I regret my decision of playing that game last night. How could I have been so stupid. I am a career. Careers don't stay up late with their mentors and silly escort to get drunk. I stumble into the bathroom and puke into the toilet. I rinse my mouth and brush my teeth afterwards.

After a long icy cold shower, I'm awake. I put on the training suit, pull my hair into a ponytail and walk outside.

I smile at the Avox who helped me to my room and she returns it. I put some roasted beef, broccoli, and bell peppers on my plate. I join my mentors and Morraina at the table.

The crazy, intoxicated people I was with last night are gone and replaced with serious, no nonsense ones. They don't even mention what happened last night. We eat our food quietly and I send a silent thank you to Evan when he comes out of his room to join us.

"Crazy game, huh?" he breaks the silence.

"Yeah." Gloss says.

"Why don't we forget about that and focus on what you guys should do in training." Beryl says.

"You're just embarrassed because Amethine and Evan know that you kissed Axin." Gloss teases. Beryl sneers at him.

"I already know what to do. Learn some survival skills." Evan says.

"I need to learn new things." I say. Our mentors nod.

"It is time for you guys to leave for training!" Morraina says. I look at what she has on today. A lacey navy blue, see-through blouse and a forest green tank top under. She has a big, matching, bubbly skirt that stops below her knees and makes her look like a cupcake. On her feet are six inch, emerald heels with swirly patterns.

I eat one more slice of roasted beef and dab my mouth with a napkin. I finish my water and wait for Evan to finish his food. When he does, we walk into the elevator and ride down to the training center. The doors slide open and we walk out. My allies are already here, along with the tributes from six and twelve.

Evan walks over to the survival skills station, leaving me alone. I scan the stations, looking for something I haven't learned back home. Then my eyes land on the swimming pool. The pool is the same size as eight elephants. It's divided into two sections: The learning side, where tributes who don't know how to swim can learn and the other side is the speed side, where a tribute swims three laps and get timed when they're done. I know how to swim, but I'm not as good as a district 4 native.

I walk over to the pool, there are no tributes there, just the trainers. I go to the learning side, because it doesn't hurt to learn some new things, and my mentors even suggested it, too. The water is a beautiful turquoise color, but I think there might have been something poured inside to make the water's color very mesmerizing.

The trainers give me a gray swimming suit, which looks like the training suit. A trainer guides me to the bathroom to change, and I walk back over to the pool after I slip into the suit.

The trainer explains the basic dog paddle, which got its name from how a dog looks when it swims. I master it and she explains the breast stroke, it took me some time, but I do an okay job at it. After that, she teaches me a regular stroke, which was really easy to do. When I'm done learning some paddles and strokes, I go over to the speed side.

"Once you hear the whistle, you start swimming to other side. Touch the other side, swim back here and touch this side. You do the same thing, three times." The trainer tells me. He hand me blue eye sockets, which will help protect my eyes from the chemicals in the water. I position myself at the end of the pool.

_Fweet!_ I keep kicking as hard as I can. Just a few more kicks and I put my hand up to touch the concrete. I have some trouble turning around to face the other side, but I manage. I do the breast stroke on my way back and kick with all my might. I extend my hand and feel the concrete and struggle to turn, again. _Just one more lap_ I think to myself. I do the regular stroke and kick. I look straight ahead, the concrete is only seven feet away. The only thing on my mind is to move my hand and legs. Just a few more feet…got it! I smack my palm to the concrete and raise my hand above the water. I bring myself up and look at the trainer for my results.

"9 minutes, and 34 seconds." The trainer says. I groan and face palm. It didn't feel like 9 minutes. I get out of the water and sit on the bench, a trainer hands me a towel.

"Don't leave this bench until you are dry." she says. I wrap myself with the towel. I see a tribute in the pool swimming like it's the easiest thing he or she has ever done. The tribute touches the concrete on the last lap and gets out of the water. No wonder why it was so easy. I should've known why he was so fast.

"3 minutes and 6 seconds." The trainer tells Sebastian. He takes the towel the trainer gives him and sits on the bench next to me.

"You've been swimming your whole life?" I ask. The minute the words come out of my mouth, I regret even asking. Ofcourse he has! He lives in district 4, the fishing district where the citizens swims like fish themselves. What a stupid question.

"Ever since I was six." he says.

"Does Marina know how to swim?" I ask.

"Yeah, she's better and faster than me." he says while he wipes his face. Speaking of Marina, I look around for her. I spot her at the mace station holding a small mace, while a trainer explains something to her.

"How can I swim faster?" I blurt out, this causes him to chuckle a little.

"I can't really explain. It just came to me, and I went with the flow, the current of the water." he says.

I watch Gary's district partner Terraine doing the doggy paddle. It's the first time I don't see her biting her nails, but she still looks to her left and right frantically.

After watching a couple more tributes swim, I feel dry. I go change and walk over to the spear station. The spear throwing station reminds me of home. Despite the different trainers and the tributes, I feel like I'm back in district 1. I throw a spear. Dead center. I imagine myself at the training center back home, Glen is behind me, teasing and saying I have a lousy throw. Amethyst dominating the knife-throwing station, intimidating the other kids who want to try it out. Reina and Evan at the axe station, competing with the other's targets. Shine at the mace station, swinging at the dummies like crazy.

"Hey golden goddess, it's time for lunch."

My head snaps in the direction of the voice, but I don't have to guess who it is. I see Caiden standing behind me, with Vinera. I wonder if they're together. We walk to the cafeteria, put our food, and sit with Marina, Sebastian, Gary, and Evan at the table.

"What are you guys doing for your private session?" asks Vinera. Oh right, that's tomorrow during lunch. I haven't been thinking about that, but I guess I'll just throw my spears.

"Show off my skills with a slingshot." Gary says.

"What about you, Marina?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll shoot some arrows." she says shyly.

"I mean, it's the only thing I'm good at." she adds.

"Don't say that." Sebastian comforts.

"What are you gonna do?" Evan asks Vinera.

"Throw my axe, destroy dummies." she says nonchalantly. Caiden chuckles.

We leave the cafeteria, once we all finish our food. I bring the water bottle out with me and walk over to the knife throwing station. I pick up a small dagger and throw it. It lands near the center.

"Mind if I join you?" I turn my head and see Vinera. I nod.

She picks up a knife and throws it at the dummy. It lands near the bullseye, just like my knife. We throw some more, until Sebastian calls us to join him and the others at the archery station. We stay at the station until Chalice says we can go home. Second day of training is over, now all that's left is the private session and the interviews, then I can finally get into the arena.

**Please take this really long chapter as an apology for not updating for a long time. So, tell me in a review if you think Amethine should tell Evan that their mentors have chosen to keep Amethine alive. The most votes will be used in the story! Thanks for reading (:**


	14. Training: Private Session

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! (: They were all very encouraging, so thanks! I want to thank those of you who have voted on whether or not Amethine should tell Evan that their mentors have chose to keep her alive. Please vote if you haven't yet! (: The next chapter will be about the interviews, and the last chapter before the arena! (: I'm excited to write about those, so I'm going to try my best and update quickly.**

**I just want to respond to one reader who I can't reply to through PM.**

**Guest: Thank you! Yeah, Caiden likes to tease her, by calling her that, but there will be another lady for him. I promise you'll find out more about him and Vinera's relationship.**

**Please read the author's note at the end of the chapter (: It's kinda important.**

**Okay, enjoy! (:**

* * *

"Amethine, get up! Today is your private session with the Gamemakers!" Morraina says. I keep my eyes shut, trying to pretend that I'm still asleep.

"I know you're awake!" This woman must've read my mind. I stay still, hoping that she'll walk out and let me sleep.

"Fine, sleep in and miss your private session. You're going to regret it, when you see a big zero next to your picture when the scores are announced." Morraina says. I groan and roll over.

"Come on, get up."

"Why do you always wake me up first?" I ask.

"You're the difficult one to wake up. Waking Evan up is easier, all I have to do is say his name." Morraina says.

I sit up and she walks out. I walk into the bathroom, take and shower and brush my teeth. I put the training suit and boots on and tie my hair into its usual ponytail.

I put my food and sit down next to Cashmere. I eat thinking about what I should show the Gamemakers. I'm good with spears, but the more, the merrier. They'll probably get bored if I all I do is hit the bullseyes with a spear. They've probably seen the same thing over and over again with the Careers. The brute tribute that's good with a sword, the tribute that never misses with knives, and the tribute who can throw spears.

Maybe learning gymnastics could be used at my advantage. But it's been eleven years since I did a flip, so any memories of it will be foggy. I still remember how to do a hands-free cartwheel, because it was my favorite move. A memory replays in my head.

_The green grass in our backyard looks so peaceful, it's calling me to come and play outside. I bring Amethyst outside, because she is one hyper child for a five year old. I do a hands-free cartwheel and plant my feet firmly on the ground. Perfect landing. Amethyst giggles and tries to mimic me._

_She does a tumble and hits her head and laughs as she rubs it. I laugh too, and do a different flip. She would do her tumble after I did another flip. _

We stopped when our mother came out of the house and scolded me for teaching Amethyst something dangerous. I talked back, saying that she was the one that copied me and it wasn't my fault. My mother sent me to my room and told me not to come out, unless I was hungry. So, I was pretty much grounded. I laugh lightly to myself as I think about that. Cashmere looks at me questioningly, as if I were psycho, which I did probably look like.

I just look down at my plate and poke the food with my fork, ignoring her questioning gaze. Evan walks in, fills his plate with food, and sits next to me.

"Where are the others?" he asks Cashmere, since she is the only mentor present.

"He's probably at the sponsor station, setting everything up."

"What's the sponsor station?" I ask.

"The sponsor station is a building where all the mentors for each district have their own rooms. In that room, is a bunch of high-tech computers that you have to operate when all the tributes get into the arena. The computers are used for sending sponsor gifts into the arena." Cashmere tells us.

"Is Axin the only not here?" I ask. She nods.

"Believe it or not, he's a computer whiz." she says.

"Why don't you want to go?" Evan asks.

"I'm not really good at handling all that Capitol advance electronics. Axin is the tech savvy mentor, I'm the pretty mentor, Beryl is the tough mentor, and Gloss is the easy-to-talk-to mentor." she says. Evan laughs and I roll my eyes.

"Are you guys excited for your private sessions?" Morraina asks.

I nod, keeping my eyes on my plate. "Yeah." Evan says.

"I know you'll both do great." she says. I smile back. "Thank you."

"Do you guys even know what to do?" asks Cashmere.

"Use my sword." Evan says. Cashmere thinks it's good idea, and nods.

"Try and use another weapon, too. They probably won't bother to pay attention to you if all you're going to do is stab a dummy." she says and Evan nods.

"How about you?" she asks me.

"I'll probably throw my spears, and some gymnastics." I say. She nods.

"One more thing, when you're done with your sessions, come back here." Cashmere says. We both nod our heads.

"I think you two should head down, now." Morraina says.

We nod and get into the elevator. We walk out when it stops, and realize that we're the only ones that have arrived. I don't mind the fact that Morraina sent us down early, because I can throw my spears without any interruptions. Evan and I split and make our way over to our favorite weapons.

The trainer nods curtly, because he knows I don't need any tips. I nod back and pick up and throw it, and watch it stick to the small red dot on the dummy. I pick up a smaller spear and twirl it around, I turn around so my back is facing the dummy. I turn swiftly and throw it. Bullseye. I hear some kind of thumping side and crane my head to see what it is. The noise is coming from the hand to hand combat station. The trainers are cleaning the blue mat. I smirk when I remember the last time I visited a hand to hand combat station, which was when I kicked Zeya's ass.

I want to see what kind of moves these Capitol trainers can teach me, that's if it's something I don't already know. The trainer is a middle-aged woman with a slightly muscled body and shoulder length, midnight back hair. She seems delighted when I walk over, probably not a lot of tributes go to her station.

"You don't seem like the kind of tribute that would come here." she says.

"Guess you're in for a surprise." I say.

She teaches me some moves that I already know, so I ask her to teach me something different.

"Different, huh? Hmm…oh! The chuckle berry maneuver." she says with a snap.

She tells me to stand on the left side of the mat, while she stands on the right.

"Tackle me." she says. "But when you get a grip on me, stop. I'm going to explain something to you." she adds. I nod.

I run at her and position myself to knock her down, with my shoulder at her stomach. I stop, just like she said.

"Okay, so this is where the move comes in handy." she says. "Speed is an important part, so you need to act quickly. So, if you're ever in this situation when a tribute charges at you, this will help."

"You know where the spinal cord is, right?" she asks. I nod. Back at the training center, they taught us about the human body, and which places will be good to strike and kill your enemy. Once they explained everything about it, they had us take writing and physical tests. The writing test had questions about the human parts. Like '_List parts of the human body that will cause the whole body to get paralyzed when struck.'_ I passed it with a 96%.

For the physical test, they brought in dummies with sensors and fake blood, so it would have a close resemblance to a real human body. The sensors detect if the injuries were fatal and blood would pour out if you injure the right spot. I passed that with a 100%. Trainees would don't pass the test have to study and take it again, but they would be behind in other lessons.

"What you're going to do is elbow the spinal cord. When that happens, the attacker's body will be paralyzed from head to toe and fall, so that will you give a chance to kill him or her." she explained while landing her elbow on my spinal cord softly.

"Got it?" she asks. I nod and let go. "How can I make sure it'll work?" I ask.

"What, you don't trust me?" she asks. I grin.

"No, I just want to see it." I say with my arms crossed.

"Lance." she calls over her shoulder.

"Yeah." A guy with blonde hair answers as he jogs over.

"This girl wants to try out a move." she says to him.

"Which one?"

"Chuckle berry maneuver." she tells him and he just nods. I can't believe he's willing to get paralyzed all over his body. Maybe it's his job and he gets paid to do it. I'd kill someone before I agree to do that.

We stand at opposite ends of the mat. He gets into position and charges at me. When he's three feet in front of me, I get into position and brace myself. _Speed is important. Do it quickly._ He latches onto me. _Now!_ I yell at myself in my head. I lift my elbow and hit it against his spinal cord. I didn't do it too fast, because we both fall and he's on top. I use all my strength to shove him off and he rolls.

"It works." I announce. Poor guy, the only thing he can move is his eyes.

I look around and see that the trainer isn't here. Where is she? She walks over with a syringe in her hand. There's green liquid in it. She kneels down over Lance and opens his mouth. She pushes pump and the green liquid falls into his mouth.

"It'll take a few minutes for it to sink in, then he can get up and running." she says.

"Just a few? Wow, these Capitol medicines really work wonders" I say, amused.

"Welcome to the Capitol." she says with a smirk.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"Amethine."

"I'm Cynthia." she says.

"What district are you from, Amethine?"

"1."

"The luxury district. So your district is responsible for all these whacky clothes,"

I laugh. "That's us."

"Would you like to learn any more moves?" she asks. I shake my head. "But that chuckle berry maneuver will really help, thanks." I say. She smiles and nods graciously.

I turn and walk away. "Hey." Cynthia calls. I turn and look at her.

"You've just earned a sponsor." she says.

"Thank you." I say with a nod.

I walk over to the shelter making station. I know how to make shelters. But with my experience over at the hand to hand combat station, I know they'll me teach something I don't know. I see six tributes gathered around, Maggie from 11, Bonnie and Timothy from 10, Latteine from 6, and Mina and Calvin from 12. When I join them, Mina just ignores me and goes back to chewing her nails, Maggie stares, and Bonnie scoots away.

The trainer teaches us how to make a cover that provides shade. You find two trees that are parallel to each other, and not too far apart. You need twelve clean cut branches, meaning there are no leaves. You place six branches in horizontal lines, and make sure that the gaps on the side match the width of both of the tree's trunks, therefore it'll be easier to slide onto the tree for support. When you're done arranging six branches horizontally, take the six other branches and arrange them in a vertical line over the horizontal branches. You'll them have a crossed pattern of branches, and to make them stick, you'll need to tie them with Sierant leaves, which are really sturdy.

After that, you slide the sticks on the tree's trunk, it's your choice on how high you'd like it to be. Then you place alot of leave on the branches and you'll have shade. The trainers says that it's only for shade, not for shelter. _Shade_, so the arena will probably be hot. Stupid guy, doesn't even know he just revealed the climate of the arena to me. I do an okay job, but the problem with me is how I align the branches. Latteine, though does a really good job.

Chalice announces that it's lunch time so I make my way over to the cafeteria. Marina catches up with me and we walk there together. We fill our plates and sit down at a table. Gary, Caiden, Evan, and Vinera join us.

"I'm so excited for my private session!" Vinera squeals.

"Are you just going to swing your axe?" I ask.

"Yeah." she says.

We continue eating our food in silence. When I finish my food I take a drink from my water bottle and wait. Beryl told me that the tributes wait for their name to be called in the cafeteria, starting with me and ending with the district 12 male, Calvin.

"Amethine Gemmis." A peacekeeper calls while reading from a piece of paper in his hands.

The other tributes watch me as I exit the room. I put a grin on my face and strut out of the cafeteria confidently. The peacekeeper escorts me to a big room and slides the door close. I walk forward and the wall slides up. It's like there's always something behind the walls.

I walk into training center. There must be different ways to get in here, one being the elevator, and two being a hallway near the cafeteria. Who knows how many other entrances lie near. The Gamemakers watch me walk in from the balcony.

"Amethine Gemmis, district 1" I say, the head Gamemaker Juliusen Donals nods his head, signaling that I begin.

My feet take me to the spear throwing station. I pick up a spear and throw it. It lands right on the middle of the heart. I pick up another one and throw it. Dead center. I don't bother looking up at the Gamemakers as I pick up another one and throw it. Two minutes go by and I've already thrown five spears.

I take one spear and walk seven feet away from the standing line. I feel the Gamemakers' eyes on me. I grip the shaft tightly and run and do a hands free cartwheel and let go of the spear once my feet are on the ground. I watch the spear, and it hits the bullseye of the head on the dummy. I grin and grab another spear and walk away from the standing line again. I turn my back on the dummy and do a backhand spring and throw the spear once I stand upright. Bullseye.

A few of the Gamemakers applause. "Thank you, you are dismissed." Juliusen says. I nod and walk out. I get into the elevator and ride up to my floor.

"How was it?" Axin asks.

"Nice to see you, too." I say sarcastically.

"It was fine." I add with a smirk.

* * *

Morraina has invited both mine and Evan's prep team to see our scores. I sit in between a very excited Priney and Cashmere. I can't sit still. I keep moving around in my seat , I'm surprised it's not bothering Cashmere or Priney.

"As you all know, the tributes are scored on a scale from 1-12 based on three days of careful evaluation." Caesar says.

A picture of me appears with my arms crossed and an evil grin planted on my lips.

"From district 1, Amethine Gemmis." Caesar says. I lean forward in anticipation.

Priney gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and I smile at her.

"With a score of...10" Caesar says. Before I can smile my prep team, Evan's prep team, mentors, and Morraina squeal with joy and give me pats on the back. Priney gives me a hug, and I return it.

"Good job, darling!" she says.

"Thank you. The Gamemakers probably liked my chariot outfit." I say in a joking manner, and she laughs.

Cashmere tells us to quiet down just as Evan's picture appears.

"Evan Fortis with a score of...10" Same squeals of happiness come from our mentors, both prep teams, and Morraina.

"How delightful! Both tributes from district get a 10." Caesar exclaims. Caiden gets a 10 and Vinera earns a 9. Marina gets a eight and Sebastian a 10. The other tributes don't get really high scores except for Gary, who gets a 8.

"That's all for the scores, good night and may the odds be ever in your favor." Caesar says, and the screen goes black.

"That was amazing! Great job on the scores you two! Now all that's left is the interviews!" Morraina says. Ugh. That's what I'm going to dread.

* * *

**Another long chapter, YAY! I really hope you enjoyed it and if you didnt please submit a review stating why, KINDLY. Constructive criticism will be appreciated, flames can burn along with Katniss's dress. Hehe :P Anyways reviews are awesome! Again, I want to thank the readers who submitted an awesome reviews!**

**Anyways, I'm going to give you guys a heads up on updates. I'm starting school tomorrow, but by the time you're reading this, I'll probably at school already. So if things are busy at school, I may not have time to update alot. (Which I really hate) I apologize in advance if I don't update for a long time. But I solemnly swear that if I have time, and I don't have anything else to do, I'll update (:**

**Sorry for the long author's note, but I had to let you guys know. Thanks for reading! May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor! (:**


	15. Not Like the Rest

**Thank you all so much to the readers who submitted such amazing reviews! I also want to thank those who understand the whole updating situation, I am very grateful that I have awesome readers! Since it's the first week of school, there isn't much to do, and I want to take advantage of it, so here is an update! I also wanted to get the interviews chapter done, because the tributes are going into the arena! **

**I just want to respond to two reviews that I can't reply via PM.**

**A person(Guest) Okay, but the problem is, why did you have to swear? You could've said something like 'I didn't like the ending' anyways, thank you. Just don't be mean.**

**Guest: I can't wait to work on the arena chapter, too! (: Here is the update you asked for.**

**Please enjoy, and please tell me what you think! (:**

* * *

I get out of bed, and push a strand of hair away from my face. I let out a dreadful sigh, because tonight is the interviews. Where the tributes wear fancy dresses and suits and act like something they're not. I already know how to act, feisty, ruthless, and fearless. I wake up early, because I want to get everything over with.

Morraina will probably be happy that she's got one less thing to do. Oh yeah, this afternoon, she is going to teach us how to be polite and train us on how to be etiquette. God, that's the next thing I don't look forward to. I tie my messy hair into a firm ponytail and walk into the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face.

I walk outside and sit down, noticing Morraina's impressed nod. I take a bite of a strawberry pastry and ask an Avox to pour me some milk. When she does, I smile and thank her. Evan walks out of his room, also looking tired and takes a seat. Morraina said that are prep teams are to come later, to remake us.

"Eat a little faster, you prep teams are coming in an hour." Morraina tells us. I look at the clock. 9:17.

I eat three more pastries and a cheese bagel, then take a shower. I massage my scalp with the mint shampoo and scrub my body clean. I step out of the shower and the hot air dries my hair. I wrap my body with a soft towel and step outside.

"Hello!" Demeter say in a cheery voice. I step back at first, with my fists raised, prepared to defend myself, until I realize that it's just a Capitol member of my prep team. She frowns when she sees this.

"Don't scare me like that." I tell her and she nods. I smile and greet Laris and Inepta.

"Are you ready for the interviews?" Laris asks. I find myself staring at his outfit. It's a silver and black suit with swirls everywhere that revolves and makes you dizzy. I shake my head and keep myself from falling, and they all laugh.

"It's an illusion." Demeter says.

"How were you guys able to walk with him, without having your head spin in circles?" I ask, rubbing my temples.

"Don't look at it." Inepta says with a shrug.

I sit in a chair, while they walk around and whisper to each other. They're probably talking about what they should do for my hair and make-up, and they whispering because they don't want me to know until tonight.

I hope evening comes faster, because I want this to be over and get into the arena.

* * *

"Amethine, posture is very important. Never slouch, that is very unlady-like." Morraina tells me.

"Slightly tuck your right ankle under your left leg." she says, showing me a demonstration.

"And put your hands on top of each other, and place them on your lap."

I do what she says and she smiles at the outcome.

"Very good."

She doesn't have much to explain to Evan, because boys don't really have to sit in a graceful way.

"Now, time to learn about being etiquette. You're going to have to pay attention, because it will come in handy for the post-interview dinner.

"What post-interview dinner?" I ask.

I want to sleep right when we get back to the living quarters, so I can have a lot of energy for the games. I don't have time to sit around and enjoy fancy Capitol food with my future victims.

"It's when all the interviews are over and all the tributes have dinner!" Morraina claps her hands excitedly.

"Where is it going to be held?" Evan asks. He seems delighted by this idea. Am I the only one who doesn't want to go to this dinner?

"In a lovely dining room here in the training center."

"What if I don't want to go?" I ask.

"You are going. No questions asked. President Snow does this as a treat, and say all tributes MUST attend the dinner. And let me tell you, he doesn't like having his orders disobeyed." Morraina says.

She takes us to the dining table and hands us each an empty plate, along with a fork and knife.

"Hold your fork in your left hand, the knife in your right." she says. She holds the fork in one hand and the knife in the other and lifts to show us.

"Pretend there is delicious fish, fresh from district 4 on this plate."

"When eating fish, use your knife to cut the backbone and the tail off."she says. She drags her knife across the back bone, separating it from the rest of the body. She cuts off the tail and uses the knife to slide to the side, a little.

And that's how we spend our afternoon, working on table manners, posture, and facial expressions.

* * *

"I can't wait to see you on stage, Amethine!" Inepta says, applying some wet liquid on my eyelids, on the line above my eyelashes.

"Thanks."

"Honey, you'll have you over a thousand sponsors before midnight." Demeter says. I thank her.

Inepta brushes some powder over my closed eyes, followed by some liquid. I hear a zipper along with a gasp.

"Priney didn't say it would look like this." I hear Laris 'whisper'.

"Oh my Gucci" Demeter says.

"Keep your eyes closed," Inepta says.

I really want to see my dress. I know I hate being groomed and prepped, but I knew Priney's design won't disappoint me. It'll be fabulous, and judging by the trio's reaction, I'm assuming it's wonderful.

Inepta snaps them out of praise land and get them to work on my hair. When they're done, the door opens and Priney walks in.

"She looks beautiful!" Priney says.

She is wearing a long golden dress, that matches with her wig and blue heels, which match her eyes.

"You guys never disappoint me, huh?" she asks the three. They blush and thank her.

"Do not look in a mirror yet, close your eyes." I close my eyes and feel silky fabric over my body.

"Go ahead." Priney says.

I open my eyes and look down at the Priney's lovely work of art on my skin. Priney embraced the 'golden goddess' theme, because I feel the rich color radiate. On my body, is a golden, glittery, purple, dress. The golden and purple glitters shimmer in the light, making it look like I'm wearing a colorful, and bright ray of light. Both of the thin straps go down to meet with small ruffles, that are in my chest area. There are glitters on it, too and it sparkles, everytime I walk.

On my waistline is a purple line, covered in purple glitters. The edge of my dress is covered in purple lace and stops above my knees. The back of it is slightly exposed, but doesn't show too much of my back, which I like. Priney along with my prep team, have done a wonderful job.

My hair is as lovely as the dress I'm wearing. Laris has taken a section of the crown area on my head and braids to the middle of the back of my head. The rest of my hair, is curled. I wear purple, two inch heels that match everything. The liquid Inepta applied above my eyelashes, is black, showing off my blue-green eyes. Inepta has also added golden, glittery eyeshadow.

"Thank you so much." I hug Priney. She seem surprised, but hugs me back.

I hug my prep team too, and I hear Inepta sniffle a little.

"Now, let's go!" Priney says.

She take me backstage, where the tributes line up in order. Starting me on the left side, and Evan on the right side. This is down for the other tributes and the line ends with the last district.

"We are going to take our seat in the audience, I know you'll do good." Priney says.

"Go Amethine!" Laris cheers, and I laugh.

"You can do it." Inepta says, and they all walk off to join the huge audience.

"Looks like you're living up to you name." I turn my head and see Caiden in crimson red tuxedo. His head is neatly slicked back. I roll my eyes at his comment.

"Look who it is," Vinera says, appearing behind Caiden. She is wearing a floor-length silver dress with a flower attached to the strap, on her shoulder. On her chest, the fabric is pulled tight, with some nice stitching work done.

"I'm not the only one wearing something similar to my chariot outfit." I spit back.

"She's just mad because you got a higher score than her." Caiden teases.

"No, I'm not! And the Gamemakers probably gave you a ten because you blew kisses and twirled your hair." Vinera says venomously.

Furious, I push her back with all my strength and she flies back like a rag doll. It's a good thing she bumps into Caiden, because he holds onto her before she can slip. She scowls and tries to lunge at me, but Caiden latches onto her both of her arms on time. She tries to squirm out of his hands, but she stops struggling when we hear Caesar Flickerman's voice.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Are you all excited to sit down with this year's tributes?!" Caesar asks, enthusiastically. Deafening screams erupt from the audience.

"Before we bring the first tribute out, I want to wish you all a Happy Hunger Games! And May the odds be ever in your favor!" again, the audience cheers.

"Now, please put your hands together for the female tribute from district 1, Amethine Gemmis, or for some of you, you may know her as the golden goddess!" Caesar says. The crowd yells and stomps, unable to contain their excitement.

A Peacekeeper taps my shoulder, the signal for me to walk onto the stage. I walk out confidently with a smirk on my face. People in the audience may be wondering why I'm not swaying my hips, flipping my hair, or batting my eyelashes. That's something the previous female tributes from my district would do, but I'm not like the rest. I am different. Compared to the other girls from my district who competed in the games, I have skills. I am lethal and unstoppable. I will win.

"Welcome, Amethine." Caesar says. He takes my hand and we sit at the same time.

"So tell me Amethine, have you been training for the games your whole life?"

"I'm a career aren't I? What career doesn't train for the games?" I ask and slightly tuck my right ankle under my left one, just like Morraina had taught me.

A portion of the audience cheers at my answer. Caesar laughs lightly.

"So you are confident you will win, is that right?"

"Yes. I've trained for this my whole life, and I am ready. The other tributes better be good at hiding, because when I find them, it won't be good." I say with an evil grin.

"Good, now how many siblings do you have back home?"

"Three. I have a sixteen year old sister, her name is Amethyst and I have two six year old twin brothers, Garnet and Geode." I say.

"Such wonderful names! Is there anything you would like to tell them?"

"Yes." I look into one of the cameras.

"Start packing, because when I get back, we're moving into a house in the Victor's Village." I say and the crowd goes wild.

"What confidence you have, I love it! What do you think of the Capitol?"

"It is wonderful. The rooms are luxurious, and the food is amazing. I had a little bit of Capitol Fever, you know? When you really admire everything here." I say. Caesar laughs and so does the audience.

"I'm glad you love it. Now, can you predict how many victims you will have at the bloodbath?"

"That's easy. Let's just say, that I won't be able to count them all on one hand," I say.

"It looks like someone is prepared. May you have the best of luck, Amethine." Caesar says and takes my hand. We rise up together, and he raises my hand.

"Amethine Gemmis!" he says. The crowd lets out a series of cheers.

They don't stop, even when I walk off the stage. A peacekeeper escorts me to a room with plush couches and a long table filled with simple treats, like fruits, pastries, bagels, and bread. I see a big TV and sit on one of the couches and turn the volume up.

"Hello, Evan." Caesar says.

I didn't have a chance to see what Evan has on. He wasn't there when Vinera and I nearly killed each other, so he must've arrived just when I walked on stage. But now, I look at the blue suit he is wearing.

"Hello Caesar." Evan replies and they take a seat.

"Now, you volunteered, just like your district partner. Can you tell us, why?"

"Ofcourse, I volunteered because I know I'm ready." Evan says, causing me to roll my eyes.

I take one bagel from the table and take bite of the smooth cream. I sit on the couch and watch more of Evan's interview.

"Do you think you have some competition?" Caesar asks.

"No, not at all." Evan says.

He and Caesar talk a little more, when his time is over. I see the door knob twists and Evan walks in. I guess this is where the tributes go when they're done with their interview.

"Moving on to district 2, let's give it up for our female tribute- Vinera!" Caesar says, and the crowd cheers.

Vinera struts onto the stage, her silver dress swaying. Half of her is tied up and braided, and the rest of her hair that is remaining is straightened. Her prep team had put silver gems at the corner of her eyes.

"How are you, Vinera?"

"Couldn't be better, and you?" she says back.

"I'm doing alright. Vinera, what is your weapon?"

"Axes, I can take down an apple that's sitting on the top of your head, fifty yards away."

"Wow, so did you think you did a good job on your private session?"

"Ofcourse! Why? Are you asking me this, because you think I did bad?" Vinera asks, but Caesar seem unruffled by this.

"No, I don't think that. I thought you got a wonderful score!" Caesar says.

"You'd better." Vinera says.

"So what do think of your allies?"

"Caiden and I get along pretty well, because we come from the same district, obviously. Evan from 1 is alright, and I barely talk to Gary, the boy from 9."

"You forgot the girl from district 1, Amethine." Caesar reminds.

"Oh yeah, Amethine is well, she gets on my nerves." Vinera says, some people in the audience giggle.

_Damn you Vinera, don't act like you don't get on my nerves_.

The rest of Vinera's interview goes by, and she walks into the room Evan I are in, when Caiden steps on the stage.

"Hello Caiden, so are you excited for the games?"

"Yeah, I can't wait for this interview to be over, the dinner to go by, and sleep so I can start killing." There's something Caiden and I have in common.

"So you're excited?"

"Yes."

Caiden's interview is over and Electra joins Caesar in a black silky dress with spark yellow accents. Her dress is strapless, and there are black jewels above the waistline. Her dress kind of reminds me of a bumblebee, even though there isn't much yellow. Her hair is tied in a French braid and hangs over her shoulder, and a little section of her hair is curled and left on the side.

"What are your skills?"

"I can make a fire, and with the right kind of wires, I can electrocute someone." Electra says. She tries to sound confident, but her voice is shaky.

"Excellent. Do you miss everyone back home?"

"Very, very much. The one I miss the most is my little sister Atari. She's the one that gave me this." she lifts her hand for everyone to see, the black diamond bracelet on her wrist. The audience lets out a bunch of 'awww'

Electra talking about her token, makes me look down at my token. Something that reminds of home. My necklace with an Ametrine stone hanging in the center.

Electra continues playing the sympathy angle and walks off the stage and joins us in the room. I don't pay attention to her district partner's interview, because he only answers with a 'yes' or 'no' and doesn't want to explain. This may be the first in the hunger games history, but he actually makes fun of Caesar's suit and face.

Marina meets with Caesar in a beautiful turquoise dress that stops at her knees. It is slightly poofy at the end, making her look like a little girl. The straps on her dress are covered in beautiful shapes of shells that can be found on the beach. The shells are drawn using blue glitter, and are in complete perfection.

"Since you are from the fishing district, do you swim a lot?"

"Yes. After training, I would be covered in sweat, so a dip in the refreshing water helps, and I love to swim everyday."

"Nice, so do you get along with your district partner, Sebastian?"

"Yes, he is like a big brother to me. It's sad that we have to go into the arena together." Marina say, looking at her feet.

When Marina is done, Sebastian walks out in a tight sea green suit that shows off his muscles. His hair is combed and fluffed a little. He does a good job on his interview, being confident with his answers and making the audience laugh sometimes. When it's over, he walks in the room.

District 5 and 6 go by, and up next is Sequoia from 7. She walks out in a evergreen leaf green dress that has sparkles on the neckline. There is an impressive stitching work of a sequoia tree on her dress. The green eyeshadow matches both her dress and her hair is in a messy, but volume curls and her prep team scattered some leave in her hair, making it look like she laid down on a pile of them.

"Did you like what you wore for the parade?"

"Hell no, Tanner and I look like a couple of stupid elves." This earns a chuckle from Caesar and a laugh from the audience.

She continues to play up the mean girl act, until her time is up. I don't pay attention to Tanner and Amber's interview, but I watch Derek's, the boy from district 8.

"So you were a sewer, back home?"

"Yes I was. Thanks to that, I have quick fingers, so now I can tie complicated knots." Derek says, his black suit making him look bold.

After him, I don't pay attention to the others, until it's Gary's turn.

"Congratulations on joining the Career alliance." Caesar says.

"Thank you! I'm happy I got in." Gary says. His angle is the loveable, easy to get along with. When he's done, I watch Feltrix, the boy from 11.

"So, why didn't you attend training?"

"Because, what's the use? I'm going to die anyway." He has on an orange suit. He does have a point, what's the use of trying to achieve something, when you're sure you won't be able to get it.

After him, Mina walks out in a grey, floor-length, ruffled dress. Her prep team did a good job at hiding the dark bags under her eyes, because she doesn't look like a depressed girl. When her and Calvin finish their interviews, Peacekeepers escort us to an elegant dining room. There are 24 chairs, for each tribute.

The Peacekeepers have us sit starting with me and Evan across each other, then so on to the last district. Both tributes from a district are to sit across from each other. First course is a delicious lobster dish with vegetables on the side. I use the tips Morraina gave me, and thankfully, they come in handy.

"Wow, the golden goddess has manners!" Vinera says sarcastically and claps her hands.

Without thinking I pick up the cucumber from my plate and throw it to her. I have excellent aim, so it hits her in the chest and falls into her bra. She glares at me and throws a grape at me, but I move to the left.

"Excuse ma'am, please don't throw your food." a peacekeeper tells Vinera.

"She threw a cucumber at me first!" Vinera tries to explain, but she's too late because the Peacekeeper walks away.

Evan, Sebastian, Marina, and Caiden snicker. Vinera scowls at them and pulls the cucumber out and flicks it, and it hits Caiden on the shoulder.

"Gross." Caiden says, pretending to gag.

"Check it out." Sebastian says, we look over and see a small group leaning over, whispering to each other.

Maggie from 11, Terraine from 9, and Latteine from 6 may have formed an alliance already.

We eat the lobster while engaging in conversation, and when we're done a couple more courses go by and now, I'm stuffed.

"I am so full," I say. "Same here," Marina says.

After dessert, we are escorted to the elevators. I get into the same elevator as the other careers, Gary and his district partner, Terraine, and the tributes from district 5, Augustina and Marcus. The other tributes beside Gary, distant themselves from us, squeezing away and leaning on the walls, far away from us. Evan and I get off first, and when we get on our floor our mentors, prep teams, and stylists compliment on what a wonderful job we both did.

"Thank you for making me look amazing," I tell Laris, Inepta and Demeter. They smile.

"And thank you, for designing such a wonderful dress," I tell Priney, she smiles and hugs me. I tell everyone good night, and walk into my room. I take the dress off and slip into a comfortable shirt and pants and lay down. Tonight is my last night before I can transferred to the arena, where I will fight and kill my way to victory.

**So, what do you think? Please let me know! (: I'm so excited to start working on the next chapter, and I can't wait especially to make you guys read about it, I hope you guys like it when you read it! I want to thank the readers who submitted amazing and encouraging reviews that motivated me to update! I love you guys! You're all awesome (:**

**I realize that I haven't mentioned Amethine's token, so it's a necklace with an Ametrine gem hanging on the center. I hope you enjoyed the interviews! I tried my best to include the other tribute's interviews (: Anyways, thanks for reading, please leave a review! (:**


	16. One Day Closer To Victory

**I want to thank the readers who reviewed! They were all encouraging and awesome and I really appreciate every single one of them (: Updates will probably be on weekends, I'm not promising anything, but I'm just saying that weekends are when I'm going to work on new chapters. Maybe, if I'm not that busy I'll try to post up two chapters, because I feel bad when I post up a chapter and then you guys have to wait for a week for another one, so I will try my very best to create two new chapters (:**

**I just want to respond to one review, that I can't reply via PM.**

**Guest: Thank you! (: I'm glad you like it! And boy, you have no idea of what twists I have in store for you guys. I agree, some stories I read that are about the same thing, all end in the same way, but trust me, this will be different. Thanks again! About the updates, I will work on new chapters on the weekends since I have school, so hopefully they'll be up on the weekends. I'm sorry for not updating quickly, I will try my very best! (:**

**Okay, enjoy this new chapter!**

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My mind tells me to get up, and that I do. Morraina doesn't even need to try to get me to wake up because today is my day. The day I get into the arena. One more day closer to my victory. Am I nervous? Not at all. Excited? Hell yeah. I'm also curious about what kind of arena the Gamemakers have created for us. I know there will be water, if there isn't any, most of the tributes will die from dehydration and that won't be entertaining for the audience.

I pull the hair tie out of my hair and redo it, making it tighter. I walk out of the room and into the kitchen. Everyone is at the table already. A question pops up in my head. Why didn't Morraina wake me up?

"I told you she would get up on her own," Axin says to Morraina.

"It seems that you were right. Good morning Amethine! How are you feeling?" Morraina asks.

I rub my eyes. "I'm feeling pretty excited."

"That's the spirit! Now, eat because at 9, you'll both be taken to the rooftop where a hovercraft waits for you. You'll then be transported to the arena, but first you will go underground and your stylists will do some last minute touch ups," Morraina explains the plan for today.

"Come, eat as much as you can." Cashmere says motioning to the chair next to her. I walk over and plop down on the chair and grab a bacon from a porcelain white, elegant plate.

"Amethine, please don't use your hands." Morraina says.

"What, are you afraid that I have some kind of contagious disease?" I ask. I won't see Morraina for the next couple of weeks, so why not tease her before I go?

She clears her throat and ignores what I said, and continues eating her food. An Avox walks over and fills my plate with bacon, I tell him I'll serve myself and he nods. I walk over to the serving table lined up with food and stack some tarts, vegetables, and beef stew. I need to get a lot of carbohydrates in my body, so I'll have plenty of energy when I get into the arena.

I sit down and shove the food into my mouth, in excitement of getting into the games. Evan hasn't said anything to me so far, and I don't want to worry too much about that because we'll have a lot of time to chit chat in the arena if we aren't too busy killing other tributes. I swallow the last piece of bacon and wipe the grease off my mouth with a soft napkin.

"I'm done," I announce.

"Didn't I say that you are going to report to the rooftop at 9?" Morraina asks.

"Yeah, so what?" I ask carelessly.

"It's still 8:45" she says looking at the clock. I glance over at the clock. She's right. I want to go now. If only I had the ability to control time. I bet the Capitol can give me that power when I become victor, because when you're a victor, everyone adores you, except for the families of your victims.

"I almost forgot, you need to put this on." Morraina says. She gets out of her seat and disappears. When she returns she has two sets of clothes in her hands.

"These are for you two" she says. She hands me one set and Evan the other.

"Go get changed,"

I walk into my room and close the door. I set the clothes on the bed and hear a knock on my door. I open it and look out.

"I forgot these," Morraina says. She hands me a bra and underwear along with a black tank top.

"Just to let you know, you wear the tank top under." she says.

"I know, I'm not stupid" I spit out. "I never said you were, my gosh Amethine you have anger issues."

"You're right, and you know what you shouldn't do to a person with anger issues? Don't make them mad. When you do, they do very threatening things, so I advise that you go away now. I know how to get dressed by myself." I say.

"How rude,"

"Whatever," with that, I shut the door.

I take off the clothes I currently have on. I place the bra, underwear, and tank top on the bed next to other pair of clothes Morraina gave me. I take a long and cold shower and step out when I finish. I slip on the gray underwear and bra and put on the comfortable, forest green pants. I put on the black tank top and the storm gray t-shirt over. I choose to wear the boots I wore on the day of the reaping, because they remind me of home.

I tie my hair into a ponytail and walk outside. I run into Evan in the hallway. He's wearing the same thing. Maybe district partners wear the same clothing, so it'd be easier to identify what district they're from.

"Do you know what time it is?" I ask.

"No, but I bet it's already 9." I nod and we walk out to the kitchen. Everyone is standing up. I raise my eyebrows.

"Is this some kind of farewell ceremony?" I ask.

"We were just waiting for you." says Cashmere.

"We should leave now" Beryl says and the others nod. We walk over to the elevator that will take us to the rooftop. Your mentor or in my case, mentors escort you there. So this is where we say goodbye to Morraina.

She hugs Evan. "Please make sure Amethine isn't rude to your allies." she tells him and he laughs. "No promises," I say.

She hugs me too, and I surprise myself by hugging her back. "Good luck to the both of you," she say and gives us both an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Bye Morraina," Evan says. She waves. "Bye," I say. She smiles and continues waving as we all step into the elevator and the doors close.

"Make sure you kill as many tributes as you can in the bloodbath, alright?" Axin says and we both nod. "Oh and Amethine," Cashmere says. I turn my head to look at her.

"Try not to kill the girl from 2 before the final eight," she says. A smirk forms on my lips. "Who knows, my hands have a mind of their own. I might not be able to control them when they pick up a spear and throw it at her chest," I say. Cashmere shakes her head.

"I'm serious Amethine. You all need to work together, okay?" she says with a serious expression. "Okay," I mutter.

The door opens. A Capitol hovercraft lays out in the open, it will be our transportation into the arena. I start to walk towards it, but Gloss grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Not yet. We have a few reminders for the both of you." Beryl says.

"First, do not and I repeat do not jump off that plate before the gong rings. If you do, you will trigger the underground mines and you'll get blown up to pieces." Cashmere starts.

"Go hunting every night, try and make it interesting by calling out the tribute's names as if you were playing a game of hide-and-go-seek." Beryl says.

"Isn't that what you did in your games?" I ask. I remember a fifteen year old Beryl walking through the rain forest calling out her victim's names.

"Yes, and did you see how many sponsor gifts I got?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

"Now when it's down to the final eight, you can either split up or turn on each other. It's your choice." Axin says.

"Try and set up traps so when you aren't hunting there's a chance a tribute will wander in and get caught up in it," Gloss says.

"Okay that's enough tips. You guys know the rest, right?" Beryl asks. Evan and I nod at the same time.

"Good luck to the both of you, may the odds be ever in your favor." Cashmere says. Beryl, Axin, and Gloss just nod at us. Evan and I start walking. A flight of stairs extend out of the door. Evan gets on and goes inside the hovercraft.

"Amethine!" I turn to look at my mentors.

"You can do this," says Axin. I nod and step in.

A lady with a blue suit covered in feathers walks up to me. She's holding a touch screen clipboard and is wearing a headset with a mic attached. Didn't I see her somewhere? Oh yes, she was the lady who directed me to my prep team on the day we arrived here in the Capitol.

"District 1," I tell her. She leads me past a big room full of chairs. Twelve on the left side, and another twelve on the right. It must be where all twenty-four tributes sit when we get into the arena.

She takes me into a room with a table, couch, and big window. The table is filled with delicious food, like the one back in my living quarters. The window is big, about five people can stand and look out while standing next to each other. The couch is big and comfortable, so comfortable that you want to lay down and sleep.

"Please help yourself to some food and beverages, your stylist will be with you in a minute." The lady tells me, she steps out and closes the door. I grab a plate and put a small amount of food, since I ate a decent portion this morning. The door opens and Priney steps in.

"Hello dear!" she says. I smile at her. "Hi Priney,"

When I'm done getting some food I sit on the couch and help myself. I look at the outfit Priney has on. A gold long sleeve dress with light blue polka dots which stops at her knees. Her wig shines, as if she polished it ten times.

"Where can I get some water?" I ask. I need to drink a lot of water, because the Gamemakers will provide water in the games, but sometimes they'll make it very difficult to find.

Priney walks over to the wall and presses a red button. She types something and a small square appears and opens up. It holds the tall glass of water, and extends and Priney takes the water and hands it to me. I gulp it down in a minute. It's as if she's reading my mind because she takes the empty glass and refills it.

"Thanks." I say. "No worries, I know you're trying to drink as much as you can." she says. I nod.

I finish the water and Priney refills it. I finish my food and drink two more glasses of water. A bell rings. I look at Priney for an answer.

"It's time to take our places! The hovercraft is going to take flight." she says. On cue, I feel a slight movement that means that the hovercraft is rising.

"Are you excited?" Priney asks. "Very," I say, and she smiles.

"I just love your confidence," she says. "I will make sure all my friends sponsor you," she says with a smile. "Thank you,"

The door opens and the lady in the feather covered suit enters.

"You need to take a seat with the other tributes," she says. I nod and she exits and closes the door behind her. I turn to Priney, who mocks the lady. I laugh. "What is wrong with having you stay in here?" she asks. I shrug.

"I wouldn't mind staying in here on our way to the arena. I don't want to deal with the others." I say. She nods.

"Well, before she comes in her again, I think you should go," Priney says. I turn and walk to the door. "I'll see you before you get lifted into the arena," she says. I smile at her and walk out.

I remember where the twenty-four seats are, so I walk there by myself. I reach the seats, where some tributes are already present. Everyone is here except Electra from 3, Gary, Vinera, and Derek from 8. I sit in the last chair on the left, next to Marina. She is wearing the same thing as me, except for the blue t-shirt and just like predicted, Sebastian is wearing the same thing. She smiles.

"Hi Amethine," she greets. I smile back. "Hi," Caiden sits across from me and winks when I look at him, I roll my eyes in return.

"Why didn't you choose the seat next to me, golden goddess?" he asks. He is wearing a green t-shirt, it's two shades darker than the pants.

"Because that seat's for me," we all turn and see Vinera walking over, she sits in the chair next to Caiden and smirks at me. Caiden smirks at her and whispers something in her ear, causing her to giggle. I make a mental reminder to find out if they're something more than district partners. When Electra, Gary and Derek arrive and sit, a woman in a white doctor uniform appears with some kind of device in her hands.

She comes to me and takes my arm, she aims the device. I pull my arm out of her grip. "Before you do that, are you even going to tell me what the hell you're doing?" I hiss. She can't just grab my arm and do something that I'm not aware of.

"I am going to insert your tracker," she says calmly. That's right, the Gamemakers need to keep track of everyone's location. I nod and give her my arm. A needle sticks out and she injects the tracker in. She goes around and does this to everyone. I observe the girl from 10-Bonnie, her eyes widen when she sees the needle and winces when her tracker is inserted.

When everyone gets their tracker, the lady walks out and the windows go black. They probably don't want us to see the arena, they want it to be a surprise. Two Peacekeepers approach me, and lead me out of the room. I look around, the same is being done to the others, two peacekeepers per tribute. They escort me to through a very big room, the ceiling is about 100 feet above my head and everything is made out of cement. They stop and tell me to enter a light green door. I step forward and it slides open.

The door shuts when I step into an empty room. The only thing that's in here is a clear tube that's at the end of the room, a rack with a jacket hanging from it. Priney smiles and just stands there. I walk over and she hugs me, and I don't hesitate to hug her back. She is probably one of those people from the Capitol that doesn't drive me crazy, next to my prep team. In fact, I think the only Capitol citizen that makes me want to kill them is Morraina.

"We just need to put on your jacket, and I'll fix your hair." she tells me. She walks over to the rack and takes the jacket off of the hanger. It's a storm gray jacket, which matches the t-shirt I have on, the zipper is maroon. She bends down and pulls the black combat boots that are under the rack. They're similar to the ones I wear back home, but when I slip them on, I discover that they're built for running.

Priney has me sit in a chair. She undoes my ponytail and does a more perfect one. She then does a regular braid down. Whenever I turn my head quickly, the braid smacks the air. I could probably whack Caiden's face with this if he pisses me off.

"10 seconds," a robotic voice announces.

"I know you'll win, Amethine. You can do it," Priney tells me. She leads me to the glass tube and I step in. The glass closes, and blocks the sounds from the outside. Priney give me a reassuring nod and my pedestal starts to move upwards.

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**Cliffhanger! Don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter. The cliffhanger wasn't on purpose, when I did this chapter I ended up with about 4,000 words and I just thought 'This is too long,' I mean, I know readers love a long chapter, but I thought that it was better to stop here. I changed one of the categories to _suspense_, so I can leave cliffhangers****. Since the chapter had 4,000 words, I divided it in half so the bloodbath chapter will be long as well (: I just want to note that this story has reached more than 70 reviews! YAY (: I'm so grateful for all of them, so thank you, thank you, thank you, all very much! Thanks for reading, see you until the next update (:**


	17. Just Getting Started

**Thanks for the nice reviews! (: They were very encouraging. Some of you have been submitting reviews about how you dislike Vinera, and I totally understand! If I were Amethine I'd have a hard time trying not to kill her. In a future chapter, I might write about what kind of relationship Caiden and Vinera had back home, because they are an interesting pair. **

**Okay, please enjoy and leave a review! (:**

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I scan my surroundings and see that the arena is something I have never seen before. Our plates are 50 feet in the air, I crane my head to see what's behind and find nothing. There's only the empty air behind, with nothing to step on. My curiosity causes my head to look down, and I regret it immediately. There is water below us, but it's not empty. All the horrific monsters you can imagine are in the water, snapping their jaws up at us hungrily.

Alligators the size of a willow, with razor sharp teeth the size of my palm stare up at us with dark eyes. A creature that looks like a snake mixed with a shark is the size of a train and has fiery red fins that flap around. They can jump about two feet in the air, and they too, are waiting for one of us to fall so they can have a meal. I even spot a piranha bigger than a sword. No doubt these are mutations created by the Capitol. The alligators, piranha, and shark/snake-like animals inhabit the deadly waters below us.

I find stepping stones in front of me, they're the only way I get to the Cornucopia. The Cornucopia is lying in the middle of a beautiful meadow. I look past the Cornucopia and see…barns? I can also see trees, so there might be a jungle somewhere there. I look to my right, Gary is three tributes away, and Vinera is six tributes away to my left.

_Use the 60 seconds to form a plan. _Glen's voice rings in my head. I look around at the terrified tributes and back to the Cornucopia. The stepping stones will probably slow the others down, because they'll be scared to meet their fate of what lies under our plates. I should be quick when conquering the stones and if I handle them with ease, I'll be first to arrive at the Cornucopia.

I look back down and the mutts are going crazy, they make high-pitched screeches that cause me to cover my ears. I pull my hands down and look at the clock above the Cornucopia. _22…21…20…19…18…17_

I get into a running position with my right leg forward, and my left leg behind. Latteine from district 6, wipes her eyes, she is standing next to me. I hear her sniffle, which makes me chuckle. _You shouldn't be scared of the monsters below, you should be scared of me. I'm your biggest fear. _

_10…9…8…7…6…5…4...3_ This is it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may the 61st Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith's voice rings out and so does the gong. I jump off my plate and onto the first stepping stone. I put my hands out on both sides to balance myself. I jump onto the second and third stepping stone. I look around, most of the tributes are shaking from fear as they take the next leap. I rush myself and jump on the fourth, fifth, and sixth stepping stones. Once I'm on the grass, my strong, lean legs propel me forward.

Tanner from 7, is on the grass too, and he is heading for the big golden horn as well. I continue running, when I finally reach the supplies. But, someone has beaten me. Timothy, from 10 is rummaging through an orange pack. I smirk and look around for a weapon, I spot a black sheath and run over. I pull the medium dagger out and hurl it towards Timothy. It hits him right on the back of his neck and he falls. First kill. He's my first kill, but I was just getting started.

I find a rack full of spears and reach for one, but so does another hand. I turn and find myself face to face with Tanner, he finally arrived. I tackle him and we roll over. I punch him in the face, and he sends a surprisingly powerful punch right back. He gets on top of me and wraps his hands around my neck. I position my legs under him and use both of them to kick him off. It works, because he is off of me, I get up and he does too. He is about to charge towards me when he stops all of a sudden and falls to the ground. I see the axe buried in his back and scowl at his killer.

"He was my kill!" I scream angrily at Vinera. She ignores me and chases Augustina, the girl from 5.

I pull the axe out of Tanner's back and throw it at Bonnie, the girl from 10, who has just stepped onto the meadow. It buries itself in her chest and she drops to the ground.

I run back to the supplies and pull the knife out of Timothy's nape. I spot Latteine hiding behind a sleeping bag with her knees tucked in front of her. She gets up and puts her hands up in surrender. "Please, don't!" she pleads.

"I'm doing you a favor," I say with a smirk.

She gasps as I stab her in the shoulder, I stab her again and feel my head being pulled backwards. Someone is pulling my hair. I slash backwards and hear an agonizing scream. I have just sliced off Nick's hand. Nick is the boy from district 6, Latteine's district partner. He screams again, looking at the amputated hand that is on the ground right now. Blood squirts from the stump and I grin evilly.

"Never interrupt me," I say and stab him in the abdomen over and over again. I hear someone crying and turn to see that I'm not done with Latteine yet. She is bleeding profusely, from the stab wounds on her shoulder, I end her suffering by stabbing her in the heart. I grab a spear from the rack and look for a target. Maggie from 11 is running towards the barns. I aim and throw my spear in front of her, since she's running, the spear will make contact with her. The spear goes through her head and she falls. I jog over to her body and take the spear, because if the hovercraft takes her body, it's going to take my spear too.

I look around for my allies. Caiden is finishing off the boy from 11, Feltrix. Marina pulls her arrow out of the body of the boy from 3, Bolton. Vinera retrieves the axe I threw at Bonnie and Evan stabs an injured Sequoia, the girl from 7. I look around for Gary and find him putting some stones in his pouch.

I run around looking for someone, but I can't find anyone to kill. Then I see him, Calvin from district 12 looking at the contents of his pack. What a stupid boy! He chooses to look through his pack behind the Cornucopia, the camp for the Careers? Someone people have no intelligence. He looks up at me. I am the last thing he sees because my spear gets him right on the chest, I retrieve my weapon and go back to the front and watch as Gary kills Amber, the girl from district 8. She's the last kill in the bloodbath, because I don't see anyone else.

"Let's move the bodies," says Caiden and we all agree.

I drag Latteine's body out of the Cornucopia and leave her in the pile of bodies the boys have created. We get all the bodies in the pile and leave the area in order for the hovercraft to collect the bodies. I stop for a moment and stand in front of the dead pile. Tributes who die in the bloodbath are lucky, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. When we kill during the bloodbath, we make a quick so we can find another victim. The tributes we found when we go hunting are unfortunate. We're going to give the audience a good show and make their death slow and painful.

When the hovercraft collects them all, the canons start to fire, one by one. 11 tributes died in the bloodbath, which means there are 6 more hiding. I remember seeing Mina from district 12, I think I caught a glimpse of her running when I hacked Nick's hand off. I wonder how she managed to escape alive.

We walk back to camp and decide to look through the supplies.

* * *

So far we've found sleeping bags, a bag of apples, canned goods, a lot of weapons, and so much more. We each get our own pack. My pack contains a set of throwing knives, a small container of beef covered in tomato sauce, a flask, and an expandable baton that's five feet when it's not expanded.

"Amethine, look what I found." Marina says. I look over and see her holding a dark blue sheath that can hold a dozen of arrows.

"It's a sheath," I tell her.

"I know, but I already have one and since you use spears, maybe you can put them in here and wear it so they would be easier to hold." she says.

"That's a good idea," I say and walk over and get it. "Thanks," I say and she smiles. "You're welcome,"

I examine the sheath. The fabric is soft and stretchy and can carry all of my spears, since they all have thin shafts. I put the sheath down and gather all of the spears, all together I have fourteen spears. I slide them all in the sheath with the spearhead facing up. I was right, the sheath can hold all of them. I make the sheath of spears lean against a black crate full of canned goods. I look in the crate and find that some are missing. The tribute must've taken about three or four cans.

"What a sneaky little son of a-"

"Did you find anything interesting?" Evan asks. I turn around. "Yeah, I found that a tribute stole some of our food," I say.

"It's okay, we can always hunt." says Evan. I sneer at him as he walks away. Damn him for being optimistic. We're in the arena, there's nothing lovely to look forward to, besides winning.

"I found a tent," Gary announces. I look at the large orange tent that he found, there are four dark pins that are used to hold the corners of the tent down.

"Is there only one?" I ask. "I think so," Gary says.

"Who gets to sleep in it?" Sebastian asks, appearing next to me.

I shrug. "How about we go by districts?" Sebastian suggests.

"Sounds good," Marina says.

"I bet Amethine likes this idea because she gets to sleep in it first with Evan," Vinera says. I glare at her. "No I don't," I say.

"Don't get all defensive, we know you like him." she says.

"I do not!" I deny. I then realize that this is the reaction she wants from me. Two can play that game.

"I think I'll ask Caiden if he wants to sleep in the tent with me," I say and look over at Caiden, who's sharpening his stars. Vinera's eyes widen, but she tries to hide her jealousy, causing me to smirk.

"Since when do you like Caiden?" she asks.

"Oh believe me, I don't. But it won't hurt to have some fun in the games, would it?" I ask. I overcome the urge to gag of disgust. She glares at me and walks over to Caiden. Evan closes the black crate and sees the sheath full of spears.

"Nice," he comments. "It was Marina's idea." I say.

"She's smart." he says and I agree.

"Gary found a tent, and tonight you and I are going to sleep in it. We're going by districts." I tell him.

"It's okay, I don't want to sleep in the tent. I'll just grab a sleeping bag and sleep in the Cornucopia with the others." he says.

"Oh well, more room for me." I shrug.

We put all the supplies inside the Cornucopia all the way at the back so no one can steal it when we're sleeping. Fortunately, there is still space for everyone to sleep in their sleeping bags. I sit on the grass and watch the sun set.

"It's so beautiful," Marina says.

"Yeah," I say.

"Back home in district 4, I would get out of the training center just to watch the sun set," Marina tells me, not tearing her eyes away from the sun.

"How long did you train each day?" I ask.

"Eight hours. Then after training I would go swimming." she says.

"How do you know Sebastian?" I ask, suddenly interested in hearing about her life.

"He was the only one that believed in me. The other careers that trained made fun of me, and said that I didn't have what it took to survive in the games." she says looking at her toes.

"I had the same problem back home. But instead of getting teased, I was underestimated." I say.

"Why?" asks Marina.

"Blonde hair, blue-green eyes. They thought I was a rich snob, but they were wrong. I train just as hard as everyone else."

"You sure sure showed them," she says. I grin. "You bet." We decide to join the other who are just stuffing more things in their pack.

"Where are you going to set up the tent?" Marina asks.

"Probably somewhere near, right here well be fine." I gesture towards the area in front of the mouth of the Cornucopia.

"Why not set it up at the edge of the grass? You know where your tent might fall into the water," Vinera says. She has been pissing me off lately, and I am trying to keep my cool.

I walk up to her, not breaking the eye contact. I'm daring her to challenge me. She may tease me and make all those comments, but she can't kill or beat me at hand to hand combat.

"No thanks," I say. She raises her eyebrows at my bravery. "By the way, don't mess with my kills. They're my victims." I spat. I haven't forgotten about what she did, killing Tanner when she knew I was about to.

"Don't get mad, just because I outshone you," she says. Evan starts to get up, seeing that this may turn into a duel. He's damn right, if this girl wants to challenge me, I'm not backing down.

"Aww, is the golden goddess getting mad?" she coos.

I shove her back and she stumbles backwards and falls. When she gets up, she tries to run for me but Caiden holds her back. I bet the audience is loving this, but I don't care about them. The only thing I care about is breaking Vinera into pieces.

I see this as my chance. She's restrained, but I'll attack Caiden, forcing him to let go of her and then I'll take care of Vinera. I charge at them when somebody knocks me down.

"Get off me!" I scream at Evan. He has a hard time grabbing my hands and holding them together so I can't punch him. I try to pry my hands free to no avail. He pulls me up and takes me to the back of the Cornucopia.

"Let go of me!" I yell.

"Stop it! You both look like children fighting over a piece of candy!" he yells back.

He must've seen the anger in my eyes because he tries to dodge my kick to his balls, but fails. He groans from the pain. I try to free my hands again, but he still has them in an iron grip.

Marina jogs over and joins us. "You guys need to stop fighting Amethine, we could loose some sponsors," she says. She has a point. I remember watching previous games, and I enjoyed how the careers worked together. They teased each other sometimes, but they made a lethal team.

_Strength comes in numbers_. I remember one of the trainers telling us back home. They're right. Marina and Evan are right. This is stupid. To avoid looking like an idiot, which I probably already have made myself look like, I take a deep breath and turn to Evan. "I'm fine now," I say and he lets go of my hands. We walk back to the front. Vinera has calmed down as well.

Caiden nods his head at me. Vinera rolls her eyes. "Sorry," she mutters. I nod and look away, trying to forget about that stupid thing. "If you hate being shoved, stop making those immature comments," I tell her. I've shoved her twice now, the first time was before I got on stage for my interview and this is the second time.

I grab my sheath of spears and examine each one. What beautiful spearheads the Capitol have provided me. Some have a diamond shaped blade, other blades are the shape of leaves, and triangles. The ones in my sheath are small, maybe 25 inches long. We have longer ones that are about two hundred inches long. I think we have six? Or is it 9? I go into the Cornucopia and see them lying on top of a black crates. We have 8. I then notice the sky.

Darkness is falling. I turn to the others.

"Let's go hunt some tributes,"

* * *

**I'm sorry it isn't really long. I took your reviews about Vinera seriously and made Amethine get tired of it and nearly beat her. But, sponsors won't like it if some of the careers aren't getting along. They will enjoy the drama, but like Amethine trainers said _strength comes in numbers. _Please don't forget to review. Thanks for reading! (:  
**

**Do you ship Clato? Well you're going to love this video! watch?v=hVwk3sYcMVk The quality isn't perfect, but I almost cried when I watched it. You should check it out. It's sad, it's about Clove getting reaped and Cato volunteers to save her and comforts her. In the arena, Clove leaves the alliance. I don't want to spoil the rest, so go check it out! (:**


	18. Gone With the Wind

**Again, you readers never fail to motivate me (: Thanks to your very awesome reviews, I decided to give you guys a good chapter! I want to thank the new followers for adding this story to your favorites list, I really appreciate it! (:**

* * *

"I'll stay back and guard the supplies," says Gary.

"Don't you want to hunt with us?" I ask. I don't trust Gary, I still have the idea that he's just playing a friendly façade to earn our trust, and stab us in the back when we're not expecting it.

I whisper to Evan. "I don't trust him,"

"So are you going to stay back with him?" he asks.

"No, I want to hunt." I say. I may not trust Gary, but I'm not missing out on what could be an interesting hunt tonight.

"Do you want someone else to stay back and guard the stuff with him?"

"Yes, but who do you think is willing to stay back?" I ask. We're all careers, none of us don't want to be left behind to guard supplies with a tribute from a poor district. We want to hunt. We want to spill blood.

"I'll do it," Marina pipes us. Evan and I raise our eyebrows.

Marina is skillful, but due to her small stature, Gary could overpower her easily.

"No offense, but if Gary tries to do something, he can take you down with ease." I say, she is unruffled by this.

"I know, but neither Caiden, Vinera, or Sebastian will be up for it." she says.

"Fine, but listen closely. Make sure Gary isn't behind you. Stay in front him and keep a close eye. You can run fast right?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says.

"Okay, so make sure you have your bow loaded. Run if you know you can't take him on, alright?" I say in a whisper. She nods her head.

"Good, then it's settled." I say.

"What's settled?" asks Sebastian.

"Gary and Marina are staying behind to guard our stuff." I tell him. "Are you sure?" he asks her.

"Yeah." Marina says in a reassuring tone.

I undo the tie that's on the back of my pack. I take my sheath of spears and make a tight knot around the strap of the sheath, attaching it to the back of my pack. I look at my allies to check if their ready. Vinera is using the bottom of her t-shirt to wipe her axe, Caiden is putting a lot of shuriken stars in his belt, Evan is putting one plastic bag full of dried fruits in his pack, and Sebastian is just swinging his trident at the empty air.

"Is everyone ready?" I ask.

"Yup," says Sebastian leaning on the wall of the Cornucopia.

"I was ready ever since," Vinera says in an annoyed tone.

"Ready," Caiden says. I look over at Evan. "I'm ready,"

"Make sure no one steals our things," I say to Marina and Gary. "We won't allow that to happen," says Marina. I nod.

"Let's go," I say.

* * *

It's a long walk to the where the barns are at, but it's worth it. I am curious as to what's inside. It must be a trick, because the Gamemakers never make the games easy to win. If they did, the audience wouldn't be happy because they want to watch something intense. Now that I'm here, I'll give them the show they want.

There are three barns that look like they've been abandoned. It's a tall building, and the red paint is fading away, causing a tinge of brown to appear. Vinera is eager to walk in, but my extended arm stops her. "Don't, there might be something dangerous inside." I tell her, but that doesn't affect her decision on wanting to enter.

"Well, we don't know, so let's go in and find out." she says.

"There could be a mutt that can slice your body in half with one swipe," I say.

"I'm with Vinera, let's check it out." Caiden says.

"Check it out, you say? What happens if you check it out, and don't come back out alive?" I ask. He shrugs sheepishly, but Vinera defends him.

"We have our weapons," she says.

"Yeah and the monster has supernatural powers." I say.

"I agree with Amethine, it might be a trap." Evan says. "Me too," says Sebastian.

"So is it district 1 and 4's word against district 2's?" Vinera asks, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the side.

"Call it whatever you want, I'm not going inside." I say.

"Why, is the golden goddess afraid to enter the scary barn?" she asks.

"Don't start, because I'll have no problem teaching you a lesson." I say, with my fists raised.

"Enough!" Caiden yells standing in between us. "Vinera and I are going to go inside and take a look, you three can stay out. I mean the Gamemakers didn't just put these barns here for decoration." he reasons.

"Fine, you got a flashlight?" I ask, remembering that I didn't bring one.

"Yeah," they say at the same time.

"What are you waiting for? Go." I say. Vinera rolls her eyes at holds her axe in position in front of her, ready to swing if someone, or something attacks. Caiden takes five stars out and puts them in the gaps that are in between his fingers. It doesn't cut his hands because he places the gap between the sharp points on his skin.

Vinera tries to push the door open, but it won't budge. She sends a questioning look to Caiden and I send one to Evan. Why won't it open? It looks old, it has to open easily. Or they might be something valuable in there, and the Gamemakers have the made entering the barn difficult. Vinera makes way for Caiden, and he tries to push it open but fails, too. He nods to Vinera, she hands him her flashlight and buries her axe onto the wood. She keeps doing this until she creates hole big enough for them to fit through.

"Scream if you're in trouble," I say.

"Don't worry golden goddess, I know how sad you'll be if I die." Caiden teases and hands Vinera her flashlight back. Sebastian gives a light chuckle and I roll my eyes.

"In your dreams,"

Vinera smacks his shoulder and motions for him to follow behind as she goes inside. I hear their footsteps crunch on what could be hay. I hear them walk around, they're probably checking if there's anything interesting inside. I would hear their voices, sometimes discussing on what could be there. Then, I hear shrill cry then a scream, followed by a loud thump, and the whistle of a blade.

"Vinera, Caiden?!" I call out. Wow, not even ten minutes have gone by, and something goes wrong. They should've listen.

I rush into the barn, not caring if I don't have a flashlight. Evan and Sebastian run behind. I see Vinera on the ground lying next to the wall, rubbing her shoulder. Caiden's hand which was full of shuriken stars is now empty. The only he's holding is his flashlight. Vinera's flashlight is on a pile of hay, next to her.

"Let me see," Caiden say as he checks Vinera.

That's when I spot the ugly mutation lying on the floor with a throwing star buried in both of its eyes, and forehead. The creature has blue and green scales. Its head is the same shape of a human, and it has hands similar to a human's, besides the claws. Its body is skinny and it has a long tail. Its lifeless yellow eyes bore into mine, and its mouth is hanging open, revealing all the jagged sharp fangs.

"The Capitol really make these monsters ugly," says Sebastian.

"I know," I say.

"Is it really bad?" I ask about Vinera. Caiden gaze shifts from Vinera to me. "No, it's probably just bruised." he says.

"Where's your axe?" I ask Vinera.

"Somewhere over there." she gestures to an area not too far away.

"That monster knocked it right out of my hand," she says.

I find Vinera's axe. "We should leave now, look for other tributes. They might be sleeping, so let's head out." I say. Caiden helps Vinera up and I hand her her axe back.

We get out of the barn and make a beeline for the forest. When we get there, Caiden, Vinera, and Evan turn their flashlights on.

"You don't have one?" Evan asks. I shake my head. "I forgot,"

"So just stand by me," he says. I nod in response.

I take a spear from my sheath cautiously, so it won't cut my fingers. I raise it in position, and look around for any threats. Caiden leads, Evan and I walk behind, Vinera walks behind us, and Sebastian takes the rear. Caiden retrieved his shuriken stars from the body of the mutt, and he is holding them right now.

I hear a rustle, and my spear is already flying in the direction of the source. I threw my spear to my left, about two yards away. Evan hands me his flashlight, and I walk there slowly, trying to stay quiet. I find my spear, with its silver end sticking out of a rabbit. The rabbit twitches, with my spear lodged in its leg. I pull the spear out and stab its chest. We probably don't need the rabbit, because we still have a lot of food back at the Cornucopia. I'll hunt when I separate from the others.

"It was just a rabbit," I inform Vinera, Caiden, Sebastian, and Evan.

We continue on our hunt. I would occasionally stop the others, and listen closely to any sounds that signal a tribute is nearby.

That's when we spot blood on an oak tree. Looks someone escaped the bloodbath, not unscathed. The blood looks like three finger marks, like the tribute tried to hold onto the tree, but let go and probably fell. Caiden shines his flashlight on the ground, and we spot a trail of blood leading north. I smirk at them, my eyes gleaming with malice in this dark night.

We follow a trail and come across Derek- the boy from district 8 holding his bleeding abdomen while sitting high up in a tree, sleeping. The tree is stained with blood, probably when he was climbing. I can't believe he climbed 15 feet up with a stomach injury. He might have fell asleep while holding his wound.

"How are we going to wake him up?" asks Evan. Caiden searches the ground for something, and picks up a small rock. He chucks it at Derek, and it hits him right on the chest. Derek stirs and rubs his chest.

"How was your sleep?" I call. He looks around and sits up straight when he spots us.

"I made a mistake at the bloodbath when I stabbed you. I should've finished you off, instead of chasing after that girl from district 5." Vinera says to him. So she's responsible for his injury.

"How are we going to kill him?" asks Vinera.

"Maybe I can throw my spear at him, but I won't deliver a death blow. Just another injury." I suggest. They seem to agree.

"Then I'll throw my axe." Vinera concludes. I nod. "Since you missed your chance at the blood bath, why don't you kill him?" Evan asks Vinera.

"Good idea. So Amethine throws her spear, Caiden his stars, Sebastian his trident, and I don't think you can throw your sword, Evan." Vinera says.

"I can't, but I call the next tribute we find," he says.

"Deal," we all say.

"Ready?" I ask Vinera and Caiden. "Go,"

I twirl my spear in my hand and aim it at Derek. There's a chance that he might dodge it, but due to his wounds I'm sure he won't be able to move quick enough. I throw the spear at his shoulder and he yelps in pain. He groans and pulls it out and throws it angrily at the ground.

"Thanks, I was going to get it back anyway," I say.

"My turn," Caiden says. Under a minute, he has one star penetrated in Derek's calf and two others near Derek's torso. Derek screams. Sebastian's trident goes through his shirt, and stabs his forearm.

"Please! Just stop!" he pleads. "As you wish," Vinera says. She raises her axe, brings it back, and throws. It whizzes right into Derek's chest. I walk over to the area he threw my spear and pick it up. A cannon fires.

"Are you going to get your axe?" I ask Vinera. "Yeah," she jogs over to the tree and hugs the tree. She moves her feet carefully, fearing that she might fall. She's good at climbing trees, but not as fast as me.

She pulls herself up next to the branch Derek's dead body is planted on. She hugs the tree with her legs and reaches over to Derek's body. It's a good thing the width of the tree isn't large, because Vinera would've plummeted to the ground. She puts in some effort pulling her axe out, but when she does she throws it on the ground. She pulls Derek's collar and yanks the stars, out of his torso. It was easy taking the trident out, so she throws it on the ground carelessly. She extends her hand to get the star on his calf, but it's too far.

"It's alright," Caiden tells her. She hugs the tree with her hands and uses her feet to move down. When she's two feet above the ground, she jumps off.

She picks her axe up, takes Sebastian's trident and walks over and gives the boys their weapons. I notice the crimson liquid on her finger.

"Vinera, is that Derek's blood?" I ask.

She looks at her finger, and it bleeds more. That is not Derek's blood.

"No, I probably got cut from Caiden's star." she says.

I get behind Vinera and open her pack. She doesn't protest, because she knows that if the cut is not taken care of, it will get infected. I take out the white bag with a red cross professionally painted on the front. I unzip it and pull out the bottle of alcohol spray that will clean it. I grab her finger and spray it without a warning.

"Can you at least warn me?" she asks. "It's just a little sting, don't be a baby." I say.

I take out an unscented wipe and get rid of the blood. After that, I take a band-aid out and wrap it around the cut. I use my teeth to cut the tape, and wrap it out the band-aid to secure it from falling. I am impressed with the result, because it looks so much better.

"Thanks," says Vinera. I nod.

We walk in the direction of the way we came in, figuring that one kill should keep the audience happy. The fun has just begun, and tomorrow we'll hunt again. We hear the hovercraft from behind. I turn and see some kind of metal hand picking Derek's body up. It takes him away, and just like that, Derek is gone with the wind.

We get out of the forest and walk past the barns. My spear is in my hand, ready to fly at anything that tries to harm us. When the barns are far behind us, we wonder where the others might be hiding.

"Do you think some of them have made an alliance?" asks Vinera.

"Maybe," Caiden answers.

"Do you think some of them are hiding in the barns?" asks Evan.

"No, they're scared to go in alone." I say.

We come up behind the Cornucopia and meet with Marina and Gary.

"Did you guys find any tributes? We heard a cannon. I was for sure that it belong to Vinera," says Gary. Vinera scowls at him.

"Shut up," she spat.

"We got the boy from 8," I tell him.

"Okay so now that you're back, why don't we eat some dinner?" asks Marina. We all agree.

Marina gets a big pot and heats up three cans of vegetable stew. She hands everyone a bowl and serves the food. Coming from the Capitol, the food is delicious. We eat in silence until Caiden speaks.

"I'll take the first watch," he says.

"Okay, just wake anyone up when you get tired." I say. He nods. When we all finish our food, and get ready to sleep. Everyone but me sets their sleeping bags inside the Cornucopia. Gary is the first to sleep, then Evan.

"Good night," Marina says as I walk to the tent. "Good night," I get in the tent and smooth the wrinkles out of my sleeping bag. I put my sheath of spears next to me, in case someone tries to sneak up on me. Or what if I'm too late to reach for my spears? I'll just sleep with one in my hand. I put my pack down and get into the sleeping bag. My eyelids feel heavy, so they close and I fall asleep, with my hands wrapped around my weapon.

* * *

**Thanks again for those reviews on the last chapter! You have no idea of what kind of mutts I plan on using in later chapters. Okay so at the end of the chapter, I will post a list of the tributes that died and what day. This was suggested by _C.B Weasley,_ so I want to thank you!**

**Day 1:**

**Bolton from district 3**

**Latteine & Nick from district 6**

**Tanner & Sequoia from 7**

**Amber & Derek from district 8**

**Bonnie & Timothy from district 10**

**Feltrix & Maggie from district 11**

**Calvin from district 12.**

**Thanks for reading! May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor (:**


	19. The First Death of the Second Day

**Thank you to the readers who submitted awesome reviews (:**

**Amanda: Thank you! I am not promising you that I will conquer that, but I'll give it a try. Thanks again!**

**Iceland321: Thank you for mentioning that. I forgot to clarify that with my readers.**

**The reader above submitted a review saying that in chapter 10, I mentioned Finnick Odair. Finnick Odair won the 65****th**** Hunger Games, and Amethine is competing in the 61****st****. I want to clarify that I made Finnick the victor of the 58****th**** Hunger Games. I'm going to have someone else with the 65****th**** Hunger Games, which will be revealed in future chapters. Also, I might have a poll on my profile regarding this story. When it's posted, I'll let you know.**

* * *

I am grateful with the hairstyle Priney has chosen, because it is hot. The heat is responsible for my awakening. My face is sweating, and the gray jacket isn't helping me at all so I take it off. It's probably really early in the morning, judging by the color of the light outside the tent. I leave my jacket in the tent and climb out. Everyone is still sleeping. Their eyes closed, body engulfed in a sleeping bag. I wonder how they handle the heat in those things. I slept in a sleeping bag in a tent and when I woke up it felt like I just took a shower, because of the sweat.

The climate might be a pattern. Hot days, cold nights. The Gamemakers might even have some fun and switch things around making it cold days and hot nights. If it's going to be like this, then we need to look for a water source as soon as possible. Some flasks in the Cornucopia are already filled, but it won't last forever. I carefully walk past the others, and get a big pot and spoon from the bag of cooking utensils. I take three cans of cranberry oatmeal. _I need fire_. I was taught that the easiest way to make a fire was rubbing two Caplemaine stones together at the right speed. Caplemaine stones are gray, stones that look like pebbles and are the size of a tennis ball.

I won't find any around here. There's nothing but grass and the mutt infested waters down south. I take my spears from the tent and walk over to the forest near the barns. I walk quickly, because the others might get worried about my disappearance, except for Vinera. Ten more minutes go by, and I arrive at the thick forest. I take a spear out from the sheath, and take cautious steps. My eyes search the ground for the stones, and check the land around me, for other tributes.

I find one near the entry of the forest and another one far ahead. Once I got them, I jog out. When I'm out of the forest, I break into a run, not because of a tribute, but because of my stomach complaining about how it's empty. I pant heavily when I reach the Cornucopia. I set my spears down and arrange the firewood that Gary collected. I rub the two stones together, not too fast, but not too slow. Just at the right pace. After two minutes, a little flame starts on one of the stones. I quickly toss it in the firewood, and the fire spreads. I set the pot holder over the wood and the pot on top.

I open up the cans of oatmeal and spill them into the big pot. I stir it around for about three minutes, then transfer some into seven bowls. I kill the fire, because it looks like we'll feel hot enough from the temperature.

"You're up early," says Gary rubbing his eyes.

"Blame it on this sucky heat," I say.

"I made breakfast. Help yourself." I nod over at one of the bowl that I have prepared.

His eyes flash with delight and he immediately walks over to the bowl, picks it up, and shoves the food in his mouth. I finish my food, and put my used bowl on top of the black crate containing the canned goods. That's another reason why we should look for water- to wash our utensils. It's disgusting to think about using a bowl that hasn't been washed. Maybe while we hunt for tributes we can hunt for water as well. Vinera wakes up next, and she grabs her bowl of oatmeal silently. I take a drink from my flask while Gary gets a second serving and Vinera scoops up some oatmeal.

"Tastes pretty good," says Vinera. I just nod a thank you.

That's probably the only nice thing she's said to me, next to the 'thanks' she said when I patched her bleeding finger up.

"Good morning everyone," Caiden says as he stretches his arms. He and Vinera exchange, what I judge to be a flirty smile. He winks at me, and I roll my eyes earning a laugh from him. He just loves to annoy me. I swear one of these days in the arena, I will end up killing him if he annoys me to the point where my spear goes flying through the air and straight into him. I am not joking. The audience will probably love that and how it turned from a joke to a life being lost.

"Did you make it, golden goddess?" he asks examining the food in the bowl.

"Yes, and one more time you call me golden goddess, I will take that bowl of oatmeal and spill it on your stupid head," I snap.

"Sorry, I was just asking." he says. He scoops up some oatmeal and puts it in his mouth. "It's good, but too lumpy." he says.

"If you don't like it, why don't prepare our breakfast from now on?" I ask.

He nods. "Fine, but trust me, my food will be better than yours." he challenges. I just shake my head. "Whatever you say, you blundering idiot." I mutter, but not too low enough.

"That was mean. You know, I call you by a good nickname, the least you can do is give me a NICE one." he emphasizes the word 'nice' just as Sebastian wakes up, nods curtly at me and eats his oatmeal.

"This is the Hunger Games, does it look like we have time to sit around and come up with nonsense nicknames for each other?" I ask. This shuts him up and he goes back to eating his oatmeal.

"Mornin' Marina," Gary greets. Marina pushes a strand of brown hair away from her eyes and smiles at him. "Morning," she replies in a low voice. She sits down and grabs a bowl of oatmeal. I sit on the grass, and wait patiently for them to finish their food so we can go and hunt.

* * *

"But we still have water," says Evan.

"I know, but it won't last for a whole eternity," I say back. Evan nods in agreement and Caiden chuckles at his stupidity. I shoot him a glare that says 'I'm not in the mood for any of your bullshit, so do not piss me off.'

"Will we take breaks?" Marina asks shyly. I nod. "Ofcourse, we're not superhumans. We have to rest."

"When are leaving?" asks Gary. "In ten minutes. That's enough time for you guys to go and arm yourselves, bring your flasks, some food, and other necessary equipment." I tell them.

"Who made you the leader?" asks Caiden with a serious expression. I bet the idea of a girl being the leader of the career pack brings shame upon him.

"Noone, but I bet you most of the people here would rather have me be the leader. I'm not being cocky. I'm just being honest." I say nonchalantly.

"Well, let's see. All in favor of Amethine being the leader, raise your hand." he tells the others. Evan, Sebastian, Marina, and Gary put their hands up. I smirk at Caiden.

"I assume Vinera isn't voting for me, but majority rules." I say. Caiden and Vinera glare at me, but it doesn't faze me at all. Their stares cause my lips to twitch into a grin.

"Go get your things." I say, and everyone goes to get their stuff.

I get my sheath and pack. I haven't ate the beef that's inside, and it'll probably get spoiled in this heat, so I might eat it on a break from hunting. I remember to get a flashlight, in case we stay out until evening. Who will guard the supplies? I don't think Gary and Marina find it fun to miss out on hunting, so we should find a way to protect the supplies.

"We need to find a way to guard the supplies without having someone stay back." I speak my thoughts.

Evan nods. "Maybe we can set up a trap." Sebastian suggests. I consider this and nod. "That's a good idea,"

"What kind of trap?" asks Marina. "Anything will do. I think we should make more than one, in case a whole alliance sneaks in here." I say. Everyone concurs.

We spend about thirty minutes setting everything up until it all comes together. We had set up three nooses. The nooses are positioned at the mouth of the Cornucopia, inside the Cornucopia, and on the corner of the right side of the mouth.

"Looks good," says Caiden. "Yep," Vinera agrees with him.

"Everyone ready?" I ask. Everyone says yes.

I attach my spears to the back of my pack and slip my arms through the straps. I hold onto both straps and walk ahead of the others, leading them to the direction of the barns.

* * *

"I can't believe it takes so long to walk from the Cornucopia to here," Marina grumbles.

"It's the weather that makes it seem as if we walked for a thousand miles," Evan says.

"True," I say.

The door to the barn we went in last night is the still the same as we left it. The hole from Vinera's axe is still there. I get a spear out, Evan takes his sword out from its sheath, Marina loads her bow, Vinera gets her axe ready, Gary loads his slingshot, Sebastian lifts his trident, and Caiden puts the shuriken stars in between his fingers, like last night when we were hunting.

"Last night, Vinera and Caiden decided to not listen to me and went inside the barn. Not even ten minutes went by, and a mutt attacked Vinera," I tell Marina and Gary.

I see Marina tense up a bit. Gary's face is expressionless, Vinera takes a glance at the door to the barn, Evan is determined to go in, and Caiden is prepared to face whatever is inside. To prevent the event that happened last night from happening again, I came up with something.

"Me, Caiden, Evan, and Sebastian are going to go in first. We're going to scope the place and let you guys know when to come in." I tell them. I chose the boys, because I know they'll act quickly when they see a mutt. To my surprise, no one protests.

I lead and Sebastian takes the end. I scan the area out, taking quiet steps. I have never been inside a barn, the only reason I know what it is, is because we discussed it in school. My teacher told me that the farmers in district 10 keep their cows in a barn, if they can afford it. The barn is very spacey. There is hay everywhere. There are five stables lined up at the way back. The boys follow me, taking cautious steps as well. There are stairs that lead to some kind of balcony that overlooks the bottom of the whole building.

"It's clear," I tell the boys. The Gamemakers must have taken the mutt's body after Caiden killed it.

Sebastian walks back to the door and tells the others that it's safe to come in. In a few minutes, everyone steps in. They all take a look around.

"Take a five minute break, then we go hunt for tributes and water." I let them know.

* * *

"Shhh," I tell the others. I turn my head and face my right ear north, listening for any running water.

"We've been looking for an hour now, where could the others possibly be hiding?" Marina complains.

"Be patient Ina, we'll find them," Sebastian tells her. She smiles at him.

We walk through the forest and come across a stream. A stream! We found water. Without speaking, everyone takes their flasks out and fill it up. Vinera quickly puts the flask to her mouth.

"Purify it first, Vinera. You don't know what's been in here." Caiden warns her. "Same goes to all of you," he tells us.

I fill my flask up and put two purification tablets inside. The purification tablets pack says to wait for five minutes until the tablet dissolves. I sit on the ground, waiting for the five minutes to be over so I can drink. When it's passed five minutes, I drink from my flask and fill it up again. I drop the tablets in and put the flask in my pack. The others put theirs away too and we get our packs back on.

We continue looking for someone to kill. Sebastian motions for us to be quiet. "I think I heard something," he whispers. I listen closely to see if he's right. He is, there's some kind of rustling, like two leaves swaying in the wind and hitting each other.

"It might just be an animal," Vinera says dismissively. Sebastian shakes his head. "No, it's not."

We walk closer to the sound, and stop in between two oak trees with some bushes nearby. One of the bushes is really moving, like there's someone inside shaking the branches. Like there's something or someone inside. I look at Sebastian, and he knows what I'm trying to say. I shove my foot into the bush and feel something. I kick it again and something squeaks. It's a mouse. Or no, it's bigger than a mouse. It's like the size of a can.

"Wow, golden goddess, you just hurt a rodent." Caiden says. I punch his arm. He scowls at me. "Now I had just hurt a rodent," I tell him.

He looks away sheepishly. "You know, I wonder how it would taste like," says Gary.

Everyone looks at him. "Which, this mouse?" Evan asks pointing at the mouse which seems paralyzed. Gary nods.

"I guess fresh game won't hurt," Vinera shrugs. "You guys want this for dinner?" I ask. They nod. I grab my spear and stab the mouse and pick it up.

"Mouse it is, then."

"Guys, look!" Marina tells us. She's pointing at the sky. I follow her finger and see smoke.

They start moving in that direction, but my voice stops them. "It could be a trap."

"How? I don't think there are other alliances besides this one." says Evan.

"Fine, but we need to be careful when we go there."

* * *

I hide behind a big tree, and nod over at Sebastian. He ducks behind a tree and we watch Electra, the girl from district 3 sitting down and roasting a rabbit. She has caught two rabbits, and even has a canteen filled with water. She doesn't seem to care about being caught.

"Hello Electra," I say in a fake friendly tone.

She scoots back. Sebastian, Marina, Evan, Gary, Vinera, and Caiden come up behind me.

"She's all yours, Evan." I say.

He nods and walks over to Electra. She scoots back frantically, doing everything she can to escape Evan.

"D-d-don't kill m-me please," she stammers.

Evan smirks and presses the tip of his blade on her neck, causing blood to trickle down. Tears fall from Electra's eyes, traveling downwards to her neck, mixing with the blood. She keeps moving back and Evan follows her. Then I see it. Her hands firmly planted on the ground, knees up in front of her. She gets up and runs, but falls on her stomach when my spear goes through her right leg. She screams in pain as Evan approaches her.

He makes a cut starting for her left knee, down to her boots. He makes his sword pierce the leather of her boots and into the flesh under. Electra won't quit screaming. I smile with delight as the blood comes out of the wound. Evan makes a gash on her forehead. Five minutes pass, and Electra is covered in blood. Evan decides to finish her and stabs her in the heart. Electra's canon fires, signaling the first death of the second day. Evan pulls the spear out of her feet and hands it to me.

I let out a whoop, and so do the others. We congratulate Evan on his kill and continue on our walk through the forest. We don't find anyone else, so we decide to walk back to camp. When we get back, we find out that one of the nooses have triggered, but no one is dangling from their feet, which means someone escaped.

* * *

**There you go (: What do you think? Let me know! **

**Deaths: **

**Day 2**

**Electra from district 3**

**Please don't get mad about there being only one death on the second day. I'm trying not to rush things, because I really have some Gamemaker storms planned out. Amethine is the leader of the Career pack, how do you feel about that? I also hope you guys enjoyed seeing Evan's bloodthirsty side. Please leave a review! (:**


	20. Wishes Not Granted & Prayers Unanswered

**Whoop, whoop! I received 100 reviews, and I am so grateful! A big thank you going to those who submitted lovely reviews (: I am so happy that I reached 100 reviews, because it shows that people really like this story, and that makes me feel awesome. Thank you guys again, I really appreciate it very, very, very, very, very much! **

**Puddingpop12: Thanks! & yeah, that's just Vinera.**

**Guest: Thank you! Congrats, you have submitted the 100****th**** review!**

* * *

I examine the sliced rope. Definitely from a knife, the victim used a knife to cut through the rope. Dammit! I swear if I find out who this escapee is, I will rip their face out with my bare hands. How dare they do that? They have made us Careers look stupid. And now, whoever they are, he or she is gaining sponsors for their daring stunt. My hand closes around the rope and I squeeze it with all my strength. How stupid we are. We should've used something else to make the noose. Like wire.

"Did they take anything?" I ask Sebastian, who is looking through the supplies.

"They took one of those really long spears," he says. I throw the rope on the ground angrily and stomp on it.

"That's it?" Marina asks.

"Yeah, or no. Hey, did anyone eat an apple?" Sebastian asks.

"No," Evan says first. "Not me," says Vinera. "I don't like apples," Marina says. We all look at Caiden. "No," he simply says.

"I didn't" I say. "They stole two apples. We have three left." says Sebastian.

I don't recall seeing anyone fleeing the bloodbath with a knife. I still don't know which tribute stole some canned goods. Maybe, I was so caught up in getting people to not underestimate me that I underestimated my own enemies. _Do not underestimate or overestimate your enemies_. This was one rule I told myself to follow, and I failed. Who knows who this mysterious escapee is, all I know is that I'll tear every fiber of their being to shreds for making us look dumb in front of everyone in Panem.

I get on my knees and pull my gray jacket and sleeping bag towards me. Tonight, it's Vinera and Caiden's turn to sleep in the tent. I walk over to the Cornucopia and set my sleeping bag down on an empty spot. Caiden pulls his and Vinera's sleeping bag toward the tent and puts them inside. Vinera gets her axes and Caiden's shuriken stars and stuffs them in the tent.

Caiden volunteered to make dinner tonight, he wanted to show me that he's a better cook. I could care less, as long as I had something to eat I was okay. Marina skins the big mouse we killed. When she's done, she hands the carcass to Caiden who already has the fire prepared.

"Maybe these would add a little more flavor," Gary says and takes two handfuls of green leaves out from his pack.

"Did you get this when we were hunting?" I ask. He nods proudly. Caiden extends his hand to get them, but I pull the leaves closer to me, examining it. It could be poison, this thought came to mind because one: I still don't trust Gary and two: Gary might not be skilled at edible plant identification.

The plants have a light green tone. I stare intently at the veins, checking if the veins are a pristine white color, or if the leaf was thicker than the average. I felt it, and gave it a little squeeze. It wasn't poison. I sniff the leaves and a minty scent fills my nostrils. They're mint leaves. My mother would sprinkle it over some roasted chicken for dinner sometimes. Thinking of my mother makes me feel a little homesick. My mouth waters when I think about that baked, tender chicken I ate back home, before the reaping.

"Amethine?" Caiden asks.

"Yeah?"

"Is it safe to eat?" he asks, I nod. Gary walks over and dumps the leaves in the pot.

Caiden stirs the contents in the pot, and the wonderful smell travels through the air, and spreads to our noses.

"I think two people should keep watch tonight, in case someone tries to sneak up on us." I say, trying to distract myself from the smell. "I'll be one of them," I volunteer.

Caiden and Gary agree. "Who else wants to keep watch with Amethine?" Caiden asks those behind him.

"I don't want to, I'm tired." says Marina.

"I'll keep watch," says Vinera.

"Okay then, it's settled. Vinera and Amethine are keeping watch tonight," Gary says.

The mouse is cooked and Caiden calls everyone to eat. He reaches for my bowl that I used this morning for the oatmeal. When he sees that it's been used, his nose scrunches up and he sets it back down. He grabs the bag of utensils and fishes a clean one out. He takes a chunk of the chicken out from the pot and transfers it to his bowl. I get a bowl and spoon and serve myself. The rest do the same, and we eat our food in silence.

* * *

Gary is always the first one to go to sleep, maybe he's really tired. All of us are tired, in fact. Vinera gets up and walks with Caiden to the tent.

"We're on guard." I tell her. "I know, I'm just going to get something from the tent." she says.

She and Caiden get into the tent and I hear giggling. I gag. They better not do anything that will keep up all awake. Bored, I take a spear out of from my sheath and run my fingers over the smooth metal. I twirl it around, scanning the area at times. Vinera hasn't come out of the tent yet. She said she was going to get something, and I'm pretty sure that she would be out by now if that's all she's going to do. She better not fool me and make me keep watch by myself. I'm not afraid to guard the camp alone, but I wouldn't like it if she tricked me.

I hear the grass rustle beside me and my head immediately snaps in that direction.

"Relax golden goddess, it's just me." Vinera says calmly.

"It's not my fault that I'm always high on alert." I tell her.

She ignores my comment and looks down at the axe on her lap.

"Are you and Caiden together?" I blurt out. My eyes widen when I realized what I just did. I brace myself for her to insult me and tell me that it's none of my business, but what she does is unexpected. She smiles and takes a glance at the tent.

"You could say that," she says.

"We messed around back home," she adds. I don't dare ask what she means by 'messing around'

"Are you both trying to hide it?" I whisper, so the cameras won't hear.

She nods, her expression is hurt. "Sometimes, I wish we didn't have to."

"Is that why you're always mean?" I ask, trying to sound like I'm joking around, and lighten the mood.

"Partially the reason why. I'm mean because, well…it's just who I am." she says in a low voice. "I'm mean because I wish we didn't have to hide our relationship. I know it's our fault, because we volunteered, but if we had a choice then neither of us would be here." she says. She's right, what she is saying, about if it was up to her and Caiden, then both of them wouldn't be here just doesn't apply to her and Caiden, but to me as well. It was my choice to volunteer, and if I didn't I wouldn't be here, on the grass in front of the golden horn.

"Are you saying that it wasn't your choice to volunteer?" I whisper.

"It wasn't. In district 2, the head trainer chooses the people who get to volunteer. Caiden was well-known for his throwing, and I was known for my skills with an axe. We didn't see it coming. There were so much people, who were better than us in that training academy, so we were shocked when the head trainer called our name." she says.

My dad was right. The head trainer decides who will volunteer to get in the games. The training there is strict. If the training there was like that of district 1, then Vinera and Caiden would be free to choose whether or not they wanted to compete in the hunger games.

"That's why I'm mean to you, Amethine. I'm so angry, at everything and everyone because not one thing can go my way. Things that I don't want to happen, happen. My wishes are never granted, and my prayers never answered. Nothing." Vinera keeps her voice low, but I can sense the anger.

"I'm afraid that I'll lose Caiden to someone else. If he wins, I need to die. When he becomes victor, all the girls in the district will beg him to be their boyfriend and I know he'll forget all about me." she says.

"Sometimes, when he flirts around with you, or annoys you it irritates me." she adds.

"Why? He's just fooling around."

"That's the point! He shouldn't be fooling around! This is the games for Pete's sake!" she says.

"You're right," I say.

"Ofcourse I'm right."

"Hey golden goddess?" she asks.

"What,"

"You're not so bad after all," she says with a smirk. I chuckle. "You're alright, yourself."

**An Hour Later**

"I'm tired," I say with a yawn. "Are you?" I ask Vinera.

"Nah, I'm still good." she says.

"Tell you what, I'll wake Caiden up and have him keep watch with you." I whisper, still trying not to make the cameras hear my words.

I swear I can see her blush, but I ignore it. "Sounds good," she says.

I nod and walk over to the tent. I unzip the front and step in, I look around the slightly messy tent with two sleeping bags, packs, and bags of food scattered around. I pick up a pack of nuts and throw it at Caiden's face. Due to the speed and strength of my arm, the plastic smacks against his left cheek. He rubs his check and turns over. I sigh and look for something else to throw at him. I pick up Vinera's pack and throw it at his gut. Hard. He lets out a soft groan and rubs the area the pack hit.

"Caiden, it's your turn to be on guard." I tell him. His eyes open for a second, and close.

"Caiden!" I exclaim. He tries to keep his eyes open, but exhaustion takes over and they close. I reach for him and shake his shoulders violently, which isn't easy to do since he is taller than me.

"Alright, I'll get up." he says. He sits up and looks around.

"Where's Vinera?" he asks.

"She's outside, you're going to be on guard with her." I say, paying close attention to his reaction. He creates a mask of carelessness, his face saying that he doesn't care, he'll just what he has to do. But, what gives him away is his eyes, I see the slightest of excitement sparkle.

I walk out of the tent and over to my sleeping bag. I close my eyes, just as I hear Caiden walk out of the tent and join Vinera on the grass.

* * *

"Let's go get water," I tell the others.

We're out of clean bowls to use, so I plan on taking the whole bag of eating utensils and wash them at the stream, and we'll might as well fill up our flasks.

It's morning, and no one has eaten anything yet, because there isn't anything clean to eat with. Noone has said much, probably because they haven't had something to eat yet. Caiden, who is always in a silly mood is not talking, too.

"Who's up for it?" I ask.

Noone even puts a smile on their face. Am I the only one that's in a good mood? Well, I'm not in a happy-go-lucky mood, but I'm the only one who is talking.

"Since someone managed to escape one of traps, some of us need to stay back and watch the supplies. I'll go, and I need two or three people to follow. So, who wants to tag along?" I ask.

Thankfully, Sebastian speaks up. "I'll follow,"

"I will, too" says Marina, following her district partner.

I look at the rest of my allies. Gary shrugs. "I'll go, I guess." he says.

"Okay, then. Vinera, Caiden, and Evan, give us your flasks, we'll fill them up." I say. They nod and do as I say. I toss their flasks in the bag full of utensils.

"Come on, the quicker we leave, the faster we'll finish." I tell those who are following me.

* * *

"This is heavy," Gary grumbles as he holds the bag of utensils and the other's flasks over his shoulder.

"Stop complaining." I scold.

"The stream should be somewhere around here," Sebastian says, looking around.

I nod my agreement. We walk further north, and just like Sebastian said, we stand in front of the stream. I take the bag from Gary and empty out the contents onto the grass. I rinse each bowl and spoon and shake the water off, then place them back into the bag.

"Fill up everyone's flask," I tell the others. I take my pack off and set the flask on the ground. "Don't forget mine," I add.

When everyone's flask is filled, we put them in the bag and start heading back for camp. We might hunt the other tributes when we're finish eating. The rustling of leaves fill the forest air, but my eyes pick something up. Hissing. Is it me, or do these leaves sound like a serpent hissing?

"Look out!" Sebastian shoves me out of the way, causing me to fly to the ground. I don't have time to ask, as I watch him impale a dark green, scaly serpent in the throat. Marina shrieks, and Gary's eyes widen.

The serpent falls in front of Sebastian, and he pulls his trident out. I get up and take a good look at the thing. It's longer than my body, than all our bodies. The scales are visible, and when you look closely, you think that your hands will bleed just by one touch.

"Thank you," I say to Sebastian. He nods.

"I don't want to wait for what else lies behind these trees. Let's go." I tell the others, and they agree immediately. We all run to camp, not bothering to look back.

* * *

**Thank you again, to the readers who reviewed! I'm so thankful for them, and the fact that this story has reached 100 reviews! To those of you who don't like Vinera: What do you think of her now, since you know about her and Caiden's relationship? Do you still dislike her, or you kinda understand her? Let me know! I am going to warn you guys, that there might be some days where they're no deaths. This is because I don't want to rush things, and because the games last for 2 weeks. Don't forget to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor (:**


	21. The Power of a Gamemaker

**Thank you for all of the awesome feedback! I received a ton of awesome reviews, and they really motivated me! Thank you guys, you are all awesome people. **

**This morning I witnessed a cat jumping out of a car, and the owners were screaming for it to come back and I got scared because the cat just jumped in front of a huge pick-up. But fortunately, the pick-up stopped and waited for it to go, and the cat ran into another direction and hit the rims of a car! Yeah, but thank god it wasn't injured. The owners stopped the car and the cat ran back to them. **

**Sorry for the nonsense drabble, just thought I'd share it with you all.**

**A response to a couple of readers.**

**Amanda: Sorry for the cliffhangers. And thank you so much! Sorry, but Amethine isn't going to get in the middle of Caiden and Vinera's relationship, she's that girl who doesn't care about love right now, just the games. Again, thank you for your review! (:**

**Guest: Chill out, here is the update you wanted.**

* * *

"I'm sorry, what happened, again?" asks Evan.

I am currently panting heavily from the long run. I run the back of my hand across my forehead, wiping the sweat off.

"There was a mutt," I say impatiently.

"How many were there?" he asks.

"We only saw one. We ran before we could spot more," I say.

"Thank you, again." I say to Sebastian. He nods. "No worries,"

"You should've seen Sebastian, he killed that mutt in a split second," Marina tells the others.

"What a nice story, Marina. Tell me more," Caiden says sarcastically. Marina glares at him and sticks her tongue out. Somehow, this reminds me of Amethyst. Oh how I miss my sister and her remarks.

"You know what? I wonder if the mutts are still in the water where the plates are." says Vinera.

"Me too, I wonder if they're going to stay there until the games are over." says Gary.

"Either that, or the Gamemakers plan on releasing them in various sections in the arena." I predict.

"I'm still trying to figure out what the barns are for," Marina says.

"I don't think it's something important. The Gamemakers must've put it there to make the arena look better." Gary says nonchalantly.

"That is one stupid theory." Caiden tells him. This doesn't affect Gary, he just shrugs and looks away.

Who knows, some of our predictions might be true and some may not. All I know is that every year, the Gamemakers have some tricks up their sleeve.

* * *

"What's for dinner?" Marinas asks Caiden as he takes the skillet out.

"I don't know, why don't you go check what kind of canned goods we have left." Caiden orders. Marina nods and walks over to the back crates. She takes the cover off and scans the contents.

"We have some beef and potato soup, some-"

"The beef soup sounds find, bring me three cans of that stuff." Caiden interrupts. Marina reaches in the crate and pulls out what he asked for.

I put my pack and sheath of spears down. I take a drink from my flask and screw the cover back on. I sit on the grass, and look around. Vinera is organizing the things in her pack, Gary is counting the stones he has left, Marina is watching Caiden heat up the food, Sebastian is cleaning his trident, and Evan is tightening the strings on his boots.

I look up at the sky, to find the sun setting. I try focus, with all concentration possible and watch. It's like a beautiful painting, although this one isn't on paper, it's real. Marina and Caiden's argument on whether or not the soup is ready is distracting me. I get up and go to the back of the Cornucopia, but I can't see the sun from here so I sit on a spot next to the steel wall.

I can still hear Marina and Caiden arguing, but it's not loud enough to mess with my concentration. I watch the sun slowly go down, then out of sight. I lay on my back with my hands folded behind my head. I could sleep out here, on the green grass out in the open. I highly doubt that a tribute would try and kill me. _Don't say that_ I tell myself. Do not underestimate your enemies, and the people you hunt with because everyone is capable of doing something.

"Amethine, dinner is ready!" Marinas calls in a tone that reminds me of my mother and how she would inform me that supper is prepared.

I get up and make my way to the Cornucopia. Vinera, Sebastian, and Caiden already have bowls of the soup in their hands. I fill my bowl with soup, and sit down on the grass. The soup tastes great, to my surprise, but I'm not going to tell Caiden that.

I help myself to a second serving. "It looks like golden goddess likes my food" Caiden grins.

"It's not your food, it's from the Capitol. All you did was heat it up." I clarify.

"So that oatmeal wasn't yours." he accused.

"I never said it was." I retort.

"Both of you, just shut up." my head snaps to Gary and I glare daggers at him. He can't tell us what to do. Although no one says it, we're above him. We train and have enough to eat, and will sure as hell not take orders from a boy who cuts grain all day. Never.

"I think you should've said something else." says Sebastian.

"Like what?" asks Gary, keeping his eyes off of me.

"Anything besides 'shut up' look at her." he motions with his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired of all the fights and arguing. An alliance is a group that stays together an help each other… defend each other and have each other's back. Not argue and shove each other around." Gary says.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Gary on this one." Vinera speaks up.

"So what, are we all best friends now?" I ask.

"No Amethine, but there should be consequences for anyone who tries to provoke an argument or gets physical." Marina says.

"Anyone who doesn't act respectful to everyone, has to keep watch for the whole night." Evan says.

"And what if they fall asleep? Noone can stay up all night." I say.

"He or she should've thought about that before they acted disrespectful." Evan says.

"Sounds good." I admit and shove a spoonful of soup into my mouth.

When everyone is finished eating, we stack our bowls on top of the black crate. When I drink the last drop of water from my flask, I frown.

"Here," Marina hands me a canteen filled with water halfway.

"Thanks," I say and take it.

Not wanting to be rude and drink straight from the canteen, I pour some into my flask. I hand it back to Marina and drink some more.

"We should rest now." Vinera yawns. "Who's going to keep watch tonight?"

Noone seems to be interested, and this annoys Vinera. "Hello, anyone?" she asks. Noone answers.

"Fine then, I'll choose." she says.

"Gary and Marina, you're guarding. Oh, and that reminds me, Sebastian and Marina, it's your turn to sleep in the tent."

Marina shakes her head. "I don't want to sleep in the tent, I'm okay with sleeping in the Cornucopia." Sebastian nods.

"I'm going to sleep, night everyone." Vinera says and walks off.

I involuntarily let a yawn escape my mouth. I crawl into my sleeping bag and close my eyes, but I don't fall asleep. What's keeping me awake is the moment of that serpent springing towards me playing in my mind. That shark combined with a snake thing and its fiery fins. Those giant alligators with big, sharp teeth.

The Gamemakers have the power and the electronics to make any horrifying mutt they want. Whether the purpose for it is to kill the tributes, or drive them away from a section of the area that can't be revealed until the right timing. They can even create the most hazardous storms, that is beyond nature's abilities. The bottom line is, the Gamemakers can do anything, and I shouldn't underestimate them, too.

* * *

**I'm sorry for the short chapter, but don't worry because I'll post up another chapter in two days. Everyone's thoughtful reviews were appreciated, and again, thank you all so much for them (: Your reviews made my day and I can't thank you enough. Thanks for reading and May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.**

**-The KTE**


	22. The World Becomes A Blur

**I am so sorry for the long wait! The plan was to post up two chapters on the weekends, but I had a hard time with chapter 22. Speaking of that chapter, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE KIND REVIEWS! You guys are just plain awesome. I really appreciate how you guys were so understanding and still liked it, despite it being short. Special shout-out to **_**Dancingchocolatesmudge **_**for beta reading this chapter! If you notice my grammar improvement, it is because of her. Thank you smudge! I really appreciate your help (:**

**One response to an anonymous reader.**

**Guest: You're welcome (:**

* * *

My eyes open and I run a hand through my hair. I feel incredibly invigorated, which is peculiar considering I had stayed awake for a while thinking about the horrific practices of the Gamemakers. I find the heat hasn't affected me, and decide that I only seemed to feel the heat while in the tent. It's probably designed to trap body heat, where the metal of the Cornucopia reflects it.

I'm the third one awake, the first two being Vinera and Sebastian. Vinera is preparing breakfast, and Sebastian is eating some dried fruit. Vinera offers me a smile, not a smirk or a grin, a genuine smile. Ever since she told me about the relationship she and Caiden had going on back home, she stopped being hostile towards me. Maybe she trusts me now, or she doesn't want to say something mean because she'll have to watch camp all night but I don't care, I'm tired of the bickering.

"Good morning," Sebastian nods politely.

"Good morning" I reply.

"Whatcha cooking?" I ask Vinera.

"It's called 'Saibooke' it has bananas and strawberry mixed with coconut milk." she tells me as she reads the description from the can.

"I've never had that in the Capitol." I say.

"Really? It was one of my favorite dishes." Sebastian says.

I open my mouth to say something, but Caiden's snoring stops me. "And I thought he was annoying when he was awake," I say. This makes Vinera and Sebastian laugh.

"After breakfast, we need to take the bowls and spoons to the stream and rinse them" I say. They nod their agreement. We have two sets of dining equipment for everyone, so after two meals they need to be washed.

Caiden moves around in his sleeping bag and I hear Marina murmur something in her sleep, something that I am not able to pick up.

"Breakfast is ready," Vinera announces.

I grab a clean bowl and fill it with Saibooke, which tastes pretty good. The cream gives the dish nice texture and the fruit is just delicious and not too sweet. Judging by the look on her face, Vinera likes it as well.

"Do you like it?" Sebastian asks. I nod, still chewing on the fruit.

"What are you guys eating?" we all turn to Evan, who just woke up.

"It's called Saibooke, try it." I urge.

He pours some in a bowl and puts a spoonful of it into his mouth. Vinera, Sebastian, and I look at him in anticipation. He chews slowly, then a grin slowly spreads across his face.

"Bananas?" he asks.

"Yep," Sebastian answers.

"And cranberries?" he asks.

"Strawberries," Vinera corrects him.

"Yummy." he says like a little kid.

I continue eating my food and when I'm done, I plop myself down on the grass. "Who wants to follow me to the stream?" I ask.

"Caiden, Evan and I will follow since Marina, Sebastian, and Gary went yesterday." says Vinera.

I nod. "That will make a good system." I say. "You know, one day I take Gary, Marina, and Sebastian then on the next day I'll take you, Caiden, and Evan."

Vinera nods. "Good idea."

"We should leave when Evan is done eating." I say.

"What about Caiden?" she asks.

"Oh yeah, we'll wait for him too."

"Then we'll wake the others up and let them know we're leaving." Vinera says and I nod in response.

"This is just excellent." Evan says about the dish.

"We know, just eat so we can go to the stream." I try to not sound harsh.

Sebastian scrapes his bowl clean. He collects all the used bowls and spoons and drops them in the bag. I notice Vinera watching him intently.

"Wake Marina, Caiden, and Gary up." Vinera says plainly.

"Why?"

"They need to eat." Before I can ask what she means, she explains.

"If they don't eat, then there will be clean bowls and spoons so if we go the stream we're only washing half of the utensils. They need to eat and use the bowls so we only need to go the stream once."

"That is very true," I say.

I walk over to Marina's sleeping bag. "Marina, wake up."

I shake her shoulder gently, because I'm scared to break her fragile body due to how small she is. She turns to her side. "Marina," Her eyes flutter open.

"Have some breakfast so we can wash all the bowls." She stretches and gets out of her sleeping bag.

I trudge over to Gary's sleeping bag and nudge it with my boot. "Gary, time to get up."

I nudge it again, but with more force. "Gary, get up."

He opens his eyes for a second, but quickly closes them again. I kick, but not too hard. "I'm up!" he says in annoyance.

I walk over to the next person. Last and least to wake up, Caiden. I carelessly shake his shoulders, doing the complete opposite of what I did to Marina.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asks, finally waking up. I stop shaking him.

"Why, do you want me to?" I ask.

"Nice try, golden goddess." He says with a flirty smile. I roll my eyes.

"Just get up and eat, so we can wash the bowls and spoons."

"Is it my turn to tag along?" he asks.

"Yes."

He rolls his eyes. "How about I go tomorrow?" he asks.

"Why, what's the problem? Feeling lazy, much?"

"I don't like walking back and forth. It's just a waste of time." he says nonchalantly.

"Oh yeah? Is dying from dehydration a 'waste of time'?" I ask.

"Can someone take my place?" he asks.

"You know what? Why don't you ju-"

"Hey Sebastian, my foot isn't feeling well. Do you mind filling in for me?" he interrupts and asks Sebastian.

Sebastian shrugs. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks," Caiden says.

He winks at me. I roll my eyes as he gets up and walks to where the pot containing breakfast is.

**_About 20 minutes later…_**

Marina and Gary finished their food in a short period of time, but the same didn't go with Caiden. He liked the Saibooke so much, that he had about three servings of it. Vinera and I had to threaten him so he can hurry. I grab the bag full of kitchen utensils and open it. "Put your bowls in." I say. Marina, Gary, and Caiden walk over and drop their bowls and spoons inside.

I look around, searching for anything else that needs to be washed. I grab the empty, used pots and put them in the bag. I guess I'll carry the bag on the way there. I set the bag on the ground and fetch my pack with my spears attached. I put my hands through the strap and tighten the string, so it firmly sticks to my back. I pick the bag up and turn to the others. "Off to the stream," I say.

We walk in the path of the barns. The bag is heavy, so I drag it along the grass. To my surprise, the bag starts to feel lighter with each step. What, did my muscles grow bigger? Then I see Sebastian's strong, tan hand picking it up. He pulls it off the ground and throws it over his shoulder as if it were filled with paper.

I smile. "Thank you,"

We walk into the forest, which is active with animal sounds. I walk cautiously, trying to keep the sound of my footsteps low. The others are doing well at being stealthy. When we reach the stream, Sebastian unloads the bowls, spoons, and pots and starts rinsing them with the help of Evan. Vinera and I refill everyone's flasks and canteens. I use my last purification tablet on Evan's bottle. I remind myself to ask the others for their tablets tomorrow when we come back.

When everything is washed and filled, we sit on the bank of the stream. A refreshing breeze rushes by, and hits my face. A minute later, it stops and the hot temperature takes over. We all just sit there on the grass, relaxing. I roll my pants up to my knees and stick them in the water. We don't have to hurry and get back to camp quickly, so we just stay. Ten minutes later, I take my feet out of the cool water.

I'm pulling the left side of my pants down when I hear something moving in the distance. A deer jumps out from behind a tree. I reach for my sheath of spears, which I had taken off and placed on the ground, but it's too late because Vinera's axe is embedded in its abdomen.

"Gotta be quick," she smirks.

"The sheath was far from my reach," I say.

"Sure it was," she says sarcastically. Her expression tells me that she's not being mean, just teasing.

She and I both walk up to the fallen deer. Vinera pulls her axe out of its body.

"The meat will last for about a week." I examine the skin.

"Evan, you can handle a 50 pound deer, right?" I ask.

"What, you think I'm weak?" he jokes.

"Maybe, but you can prove me wrong." I say back.

Sebastian walks off, probably to do his business. He returns with a handful of violet berries in his hand.

"That can be poisonous," I warn.

"I know, but they're not. I sniffed them and checked the color of their insides." "I even ate one," he adds.

"Want one?" he offers. Although I trust him, I pass up the offer but Vinera and Evan take one.

"It's so sweet," Vinera comments.

"I like it," Sebastian says dismissively.

"Can I have another one?" asks Evan.

When they finish the berries, we decide to get back to camp. Evan carries the deer, with the gap between the front and hind legs around his neck. I carry his pack, because I'm not sure he can handle the weight on his shoulders and back. We're close to stepping out of the forest and into the field of the barn, when I feel a stinging pain from my knee down, but my toes are okay, thanks to the boots. Dammit, I should've rolled the right side of my pants down.

I fall on the ground, screaming. It feels as if I dipped my leg in a bucket full of harmful chemicals and acid. It burns. It stings. Do you know how it feels to apply rubbing alcohol to a cut or scratch? It stings, right? Well that 's exactly how I feel, but a million times worse. I don't think I'll ever be able to walk again. My allies are going crazy trying to figure out what caused this injury. I look down at my leg, it's much worse than I expected. It's swollen, and looks a little charred._ How did this even happen?_ I ask myself.

We were just walking out of the forest then I dropped to the ground, yelling at the top of my lungs. I see a flock of birds fly out of a tree nearby. They were probably startled by my screams. I don't blame them, because I did scream loud. What could this be? Poison? If so, then it'll start from my legs, and spread throughout my body. If it reaches my heart, I'm dead.

The world starts to blur.

"Amethine, keep your eyes open!" Vinera yells frantically.

"It's okay, we're going to heal your leg. Just hang in there." Sebastian says. He scoops me up in his arms. In response, I scream in pain.

"Get the utensils, Vinera!" Evan says. He's still holding the deer. Vinera gets the bag along with Evan's pack. Everyone starts running. I bounce up and down in Sebastian's arms; my spears are almost falling out of the sheath. I wonder how he can run fast and carry a 120 pound girl at the same time.

"Should we go into the barns, or camp?" Sebastian asks.

"Camp." Vinera says.

"Why? The barns are just right over there." Sebastian motions with his head.

"I know, but there might be mutts in there and we can't risk it." Vinera says, catching up with him. Evan is somewhere behind us. It's not easy running while carrying a deer.

I stop screaming, maybe the pain went aw- no, it didn't. I let out a scream because the excruciating pain returns.

"You're going to be fine, Amethine!" Evan yells over my screams.

I think we've reached camp, because I hear the gasps of those who stayed back. Sebastian gently sets me on a sleeping bag. Everyone is looking through their packs for something that can help. I feel someone clutch my hand supportively.

"Everything will be fine," Marina says. This is the last thing I hear before closing my eyes. Hopefully, this won't be my last day in the games.

* * *

**I will start working on the next chapter this week, but I'm not promising that it will be up shortly. What do you think happened? Wasn't that crazy? They were walking along, them **_**BAM! **_**Amethine falls. Tell me in a review what do you think caused it. Again, thank you to those who reviewed and thank you **_**Dancingchocolatesmudge**_** for beta reading and helping me improve my writing. By the way, you guys should check out her page! She has written awesome stories! (:**

**Thanks for reading and may your day be filled with peaceful mockingjay melodies.**


	23. Pain

**Thanks for the reviews! I want to thank the readers who gave their thoughts on what caused Amethine's leg to get all messed up. Honestly, they were all good and smart guesses (: I will reveal what caused the injury later. I want to thank **_**Dancingchocolatesmudge **_**for beta reading this! Please make sure you read the author's note at the end, there's an important announcement. (:**

**A response to one guest reader.**

**Amanda: Thank you! And thanks for telling me what you think! (:**

* * *

The minute I closed my eyes, I expected myself to enter the afterlife. I could either see a bright light and what seems like paradise, or a crappy place filled with the things I hate. I wasn't sure about which one I would be in, but I'd rather be anywhere then in the Games, feeling the pain coming from my leg. I bet the poison has spread through my body like a wildfire, but knowing the audience and the Gamemakers they like slow, painful deaths.

I was wrong, very wrong. I didn't end up in the afterlife. I opened my eyes to be greeted by the horrible pain. I don't know how I couldn't feel the pain when I was not awake because it hurts like hell. I try to hold in a scream, but it involuntarily escapes from my lips. Marina holds onto my hand again, trying to tell me that it'll be alright. I'm still on the sleeping bag Sebastian laid me on, under the Cornucopia. The others gather around me, forming a circle.

I feel something sticky being applied to my leg. It doesn't help, because I can still feel the pain. Pain. This word is the reason why I am in agony. Not the word itself, but its definition. It means physical suffering or discomfort caused by an illness or injury. Some may not be able to bear it, others can tolerate it, but no one is immune to it. Everyone feels it whether it's physical pain or mental.

"It's not working, she's still screaming." I hear Sebastian say worriedly.

"Then what will?! We've tried everything!" Vinera screams.

After that sentence, we hear the beeping sound of a parachute. It lands next to my free hand, and Evan quickly unties the strings and opens the lid. He doesn't bother reading the note attached and pulls out a small, gray cylinder container. He unscrews the lid and uses two fingers to get some of the medicine out. He spreads it over my leg, over the useless medicine Vinera had just put on.

"You're fine, the medicine will help." Evan says.

"Does your leg feel better?" Vinera questions.

"I don't feel anything." I state. I don't feel anything! The pain is gone.

Everyone around me lets out a sigh of relief. "Golly Amethine, you had us scared there." says Caiden.

"But, I can't feel my leg." I claim.

"Please tell me you're kidding," says Vinera.

"I wish I was, but I'm not. I can't feel it, move it, nothing."

"Maybe the medicine only anesthetizes the pain," Gary states.

"That could be true. Good thinking, 9." Caiden utters.

Gary sneers at him for calling him by his district, not his name. "I have a name, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm not as stupid as that idea you made the other day about the barns." Caiden replies.

"The Gamemakers must've put it there to make the arena look better," he mocks what Gary said.

"Stop it you two. Amethine isn't feeling well here, can we please focus on helping her?" Evan stops them. Caiden and Gary nod.

I sit up and look at my leg. I cringe at the red swollen, skin mixed with the black, charred part. I hope this medicine will get rid of this sick sight. I make myself look brave while I scan the wound. I can wiggle my toes, but not my leg. I stare at the wound with concentration and try to move it. Shake it, kick, anything, I just want it to move so there's hope that I can walk.

"It'll start to fade away quickly. You'll be able to move it in no time." Marina assures me. I smile. _I hope that's true_.

"Are you hungry?" asks Sebastian.

The last thing I ate was the Saibooke and we were at the stream for about thirty minutes. When Sebastian brought me back here, I fell asleep for who knows how long so I do feel hungry.

"Yeah, a snack would be fine." I suggest. I don't feel like eating a meal, just some dried fruit maybe.

Vinera hands me a bag of assorted nuts. Peanuts, almonds, and cashews with a sprinkle of salt sit in the bag. My fingers reach in and pull out a handful of it. I offer the others some and they refuse.

"First of all Amethine, how the heck did that happen to your leg?" Vinera asks me.

I shrug. "I myself don't even know."

"At the stream, didn't you stick your legs in the water?" she questions.

"Yes," I answer.

"Problem solved, the water is the problem. There was probably acid in it." she articulates.

"No, because I stuck both legs in. If the water is the cause, then both of my legs would be like this." I point to the wound.

"And we drink the water from the stream, so all of us would be affected by it." Caiden butts in.

Vinera furrows her eyebrows, thinking of what could've done this to my leg.

"Why don't we figure it all out tomorrow. I'm sure by that time, Amethine's leg will feel better." Gary suggests.

"We need to find out what did this to her _now. _If we don't, then all of us will get affected." Vinera argues. You gotta admire her stubbornness.

"Okay, but how are we going to solve the problem detective Vinera?" Gary asks sarcastically. I expected someone to laugh at his remark, but it doesn't happen.

Vinera scowls at him. "At least I'm trying to help. You just want to do nothing and sit on your lazy ass." she spat.

"I'm lazy? Caiden didn't even want to go to the stream this morning! He lied about his feet being sored just so he didn't have to go!" he raised his voice.

I don't hide the shocked expression on my face. Gary was listening to me and Caiden talking this morning? Did he automatically know that Caiden was lying, or did he see him wink at me? Vinera sends a questioningly look at Caiden, who is glaring at Gary.

"When Sebastian came running with Amethine in his arms, I helped! I looked through everything for anything that could've helped her. And what did you do? Oh yeah, you kept telling us 'Guys, let's face it. She won't make it.' You didn't even join the rest of us and search through the supplies for any useful medicine." Caiden hissed.

Once he finishes they all face me. If it weren't for my leg I'd have my hands wrapped around Gary's neck. I glare at him. "You were just planning on letting me die?" I ask. It shouldn't offend me, but it does sting a bit. If it is possible to feel mentally stung. I was in pain and he just watched and waited for me to die, not trying to look for anything that would give me time.

I look around for my spears. There at an arm's reach to my right, but I might need to extend my hand more. I quickly glance at Gary, then stretch my arm out to get my weapon. _Just a little closer…_

It's just an inch away from my fingers, but a boot appears atop of the sheath. I look up at Evan. "Move your foot." I demand.

"No. Calm down, Amethine." he says.

He bends down and picks up the sheath and slides the sling into his shoulder.

"You better be a fast runner because when my leg gets better, I will run after you quicker than a lynx." I threaten.

"You don't need to get mad at me, I thought you were going to die." He replies with no expression.

"You didn't even try to find a way to help me!"

"Judging by the look of your leg, I didn't think there was anything we could do." He retorts.

"Say whatever makes you feel less guilty, Gary. I suggest you sleep with one eye open tonight."

"Why? What could you do with that leg?" he asks, looking like he's about to laugh.

"Don't laugh. It's not wise to underestimate me."

* * *

After a heated argument, and I mean _heated, _Vinera, Sebastian, Evan, and Caiden jumped in and stopped everything. I cursed Gary, called him and his family every name in the book. He was unruffled by my words, but he did shoot some things back and went far when he called me by the nickname Caesar Flickerman created.

But now, it's over and we're eating dinner. Evan had me sit and eat my food far away from Gary. I'm sitting on my sleeping bag in the Cornucopia and Gary is sitting on top of a box, next to the tent. Sebastian heated up a fish and vegetable dish. He and Marina seem delighted by this delicacy, either it's because they love seafood because they came from a place that produced it or it reminds them of home.

When I finish my food, Evan takes my bowl and sets it on the black crate where we usually put our used utensils. I grab my pack and pull my flask out. I'm taking a drink from it when I notice something. The small note that came with the medicine is sticking out from under the edge of the sleeping bag next to me. Fortunately, it's not too far away so I pull it towards me and read it.

_We don't know what the heck did that your leg, but this will surely help. Be generous of the amount you apply onto your wound because this was not cheap. Be careful Amethine and May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor._

_-C, G, B, and A._

I can imagine all of my mentors being gathered around a computer, figuring out what to say in the note. Gloss would've urged us to stop fighting, Beryl would've told me to watch my back with my allies, Cashmere would've suggested that I keep an eye on Gary, and Axin would've just burped and tell me to try my best to not get killed.

"Gary, Caiden, and Marina will take the utensils to the stream and wash them. Don't forget to take everyone's flasks." I tell the others.

"Even though she's injured, she's still bossy." Gary mutters as he puts his bowl on the crate.

"What was that, 9?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

**Okay, I have created a poll! The question is: **_**Who do you think should be the first to die in the career alliance? **_**I will decide who goes first, but your votes might help me make a decision! I want to thank the readers who submitted reviews! Thank you **_**Amanda, Clato02, GreenPokeGuy, Euridite-DauntlessGirl, BeatsInAllegro, and Dancingchocolatesmudge **_**for reviewing the last chapter! (: Please don't forget to enter your vote in the poll! May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor (:**


	24. Useless

**I really appreciate all the reviews on the last chapter, they were really kind and encouraging! Thank you **_**Dancingchocolatesmudge, GreenPokeGuy, Amanda, Clato02, Zjwafleman, nyan743, C.B Weasley, morganbishop, and MarbleSharp- who has been giving me con-crit. Thank you Dancingchocolatesmudge for beta reading again! **_

_**Amanda: Thank you! I really appreciate you giving me your opinion! A career fight? Hmm, I actually have other plans and I hope you'll find them interesting. (:**_

_**Zjwafleman: Thanks for telling me what you think!**_

_**nyan743: Thank you! I will definitely take your vote into consideration! (: Thank you.**_

* * *

I gulp down some water and lay my flask on the ground beside me. Night is falling and the moon looks so beautiful and bright in the sky. The cold wind blows causing the leaves on the trees in the distance to sway from side to side. I pull the zipper on my jacket up until it's under my chin.

I feel sorry for the ones keeping watch tonight._ Or no, I don't._ I remember something and a devilish grin tugs at my lips.

"Caiden and Gary, you two are keeping watch tonight." I enlighten the boys.

Before they can groan and complain, I elucidate. "Remember the deal we made the other day? The one where if anyone makes a mean or rude comment, they'll have to guard the camp all night? In this case, since two people instigated something they will both keep watch."

"Aren't we going to the stream tomorrow?" Caiden inquires.

"That's why I decided that you'll only have to be on guard duty for two hours. Complain and I'll add more. Wake anyone up when you're tired." I articulate.

"We don't have a clock. How are we going to know when two hours have passed?" asks Gary.

"Do the math. Sixty seconds equals one minute. Sixty minutes equals one hour. Sixty times two is one hundred twenty. So a hundred twenty minutes is equivalent to two hours." I state. Believe it or not I got good grades for math in school.

Gary looks dumbfounded and Caiden looks like his trying to calculate something in his mind. "What is your point?" Gary asks.

"7,200 seconds equals two hours. You can count all night for all I care." I reply. "Just don't count too loud." I add.

"Are we allowed to wake you up?" Caiden asks.

"Sure, but if someone tries to attack I won't be able to stand." I admit.

Marina covers the empty pot that contained our dinner moments ago and plops herself down on the grass near us. "Whatcha guys talking about?" she asks as she fixes her legs in a criss-cross position.

"Guarding the camp," Gary informs her.

"Who's taking the first shift?" she asks.

"Me and him," Caiden gestures to Gary.

"All night, right?" Marina remembers the deal.

"No. Since the three of you are going to the stream tomorrow, they will only keep watch for two hours."

"Then who will guard next?" Marina questions.

"I will, but I'll need someone else to guard the camp with me."

"I can do it," she volunteers.

I'm not sure if having Marina guard camp with me is a good idea. If the other tributes see a small girl and injured person on guard, they'll definitely try to enter the camp. But then again, they probably won't want to risk getting killed and my spears are made to attack from afar.

"Great."

"Where are the others?" I wonder out loud.

"They're at the back skinning the deer you guys killed." Caiden tells me.

"They're done skinning it. They're cutting it up and putting the meat in a big container. That's lunch for tomorrow." Marina updates.

"I can't wait." Gary says in an excited tone. I bet he'll be dreaming about food tonight.

"So the guard shifts are all figured out. Caiden and Gary are first, then me and Marina. Then we'll wake someone else up when we get tired." I conclude.

The three nod their head. The wind blows again and sends a shiver down my back. "I'm going to sleep." I let the others know. I creep inside my sleeping bag and hug my body to keep myself warm and close my eyes.

* * *

I quickly grab the hands of the person shaking me awake. "It's me. We need you to get up and eat breakfast. Marina, Gary, and Caiden are leaving for the stream soon." Evan notifies me.

I let go of his hands. "Sorry," I say in a low voice.

"It's okay."

You can't blame for doing that. We're in the arena, so I need watch my back. Every step, throw, and cut must be careful. Speaking of the arena, I wonder where my other fellow tributes are concealed. There have been no deaths lately, but due to my foot incident the audience might still feel entertained. They must've been on the edge of their seats or betting on whether or not I would die from the wound.

Sebastian gives me a bowl of oatmeal. I thank him and push a spoonful of it in my mouth. I look around. It's probably 9 in the morning, judging by how high the sun is in the sky. It's not too hot and gratefully, the wind would blow occasionally.

I pull my flask out of my pack and take a sip. A couple of minutes later I finish my oatmeal and water.

"Hey Gary." I call.

The minute he turns to me I throw my flask. His eyes widen at the flying object and he ducks. "You were supposed to catch it," I giggle at his failure.

"Oh."

"You thought I threw it just to hurt you?" I ask.

"Yeah, I didn't know we were playing catch." he says pathetically.

"We weren't. I threw it at you so you can take it and refill it at the stream."

He doesn't say anything and just walks away and puts my flask in the utensil bag.

"Why didn't you wake me up to keep watch?" I ask him.

He shrugged. "I didn't feel tired. When Caiden went to bed, I was on guard for the whole night."

"Do you feel tired now?" I question.

"Kinda," he admitted.

"You should've woken someone up." I said.

"Doesn't matter." he waves off.

I turn my attention to Caiden. "Caiden, you're in charge on the way to the stream and back." I inform.

"Yes, sir." he says in a voice that reminds me of the peacekeepers back home. I put my hands on my hips and give him a pointed look.

"I mean, ma'am." he clarifies.

"You guys need to be stealthy. If you guys walk there in a conspicuous manner, you'll send the other tributes running and we don't want that." I instruct.

No one says anything so I continue. "If you see a tribute, DO NOT let them get away. All three of you have weapons that are designed to kill from a distance, so there should be no excuses. When you're going to kill a tribute, do not make it a quick death." I grin at the last sentence.

"What happens if they get away?" Gary asks nervously.

"You hunt them down again and make sure they suffer." I reply coldly.

"When you guys get to the forest, be careful. The cause of my wound is in there and I don't want anyone else to end up with an ugly injury. Watch where you step and do not eat anything that seems odd." I tell them.

"Do you guys have all the bowls, spoons, pots and flasks?" I ask.

Gary opens the bag and peers inside. He moves some things over and takes his hand out. "Yep. We have everything."

"Good. Now, you guys can go. Do not forget to keep an eye out for mutts. Remember that serpent that tried to get me, Marina?" I remind.

She nods. "Terrifying," she recalls.

"You guys can go now." I state. They grab their packs and arm themselves. Gary grabs the utensil bag and starts jogging away. Caiden runs after him until he's in the front and Marina skips her way over.

When they're all out of sight I look at my leg. The medicine is working and I think that after two or three days, the wound will disappear. I still can't move it which is quite weird because if it's healing, shouldn't I be able to move it?

"Evan, have you seen the medicine for my leg?" I ask.

He walks over to me and lifts one side of my sleeping bag up. Under it, lays the small gray cylinder. I pick it up and take the lid off. I take a decent amount and rub it all over the wound. When Evan first applied the medicine to my leg, the pain went away. It would hurt at night, but the pain was bearable. I place the lid back on and decide to just put it back under the sleeping bag.

There's nothing to do. I can't walk around and throw my spears at something for target practice. Vinera, Sebastian, and Evan seem bored too. They're either sitting on a crate or just on the grass.

I grab a spear out of the sheath and twirl it around, trying to occupy myself. I didn't know it would be this boring.

* * *

When the other return unharmed, I let out a sigh of relief. As the leader you want to make sure that everyone in the group is alright because if one isn't, it'll slow the others down. That is what's happening to us now, but I don't think my leg is slowing the rest of us down. Or yes it is. We can't go hunting. The others can, but I can't let them have all the fun.

"Do you need help?" I ask Marina as she unloads the bowls and stacks them on top of the black crate.

"It's fine. You won't be able to walk over." She says softly.

I sigh. "Do you guys need help?" I ask Vinera, Sebastian, and Evan who are roasting the deer.

"We're good. Just sit down and relax your leg." Sebastian advises.

"I think my leg is fine. Maybe if you guys can just hold me up, then I can hop on my other leg over there and help." I suggest.

"Just stay there," Vinera tells me.

Gary and Caiden pass out everyone's flask. Gary throws mine and I catch it easily.

"Did you purify the water?" I ask.

"Yes we did." he responds.

"Caiden, we need your help." Vinera calls for her district partner.

"I can do it," I offer.

"Amethine, it's alright. Just sit down." Vinera says.

I feel so useless. I hate feeling useless. I always want to try and contribute something, but with this injury that won't happen. Why won't they just let me help them? I can hold onto something for support, or lean on someone. These guys need find me something to do because if I have to sit on this sleeping bag all day, I will go nuts.

* * *

**If you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do! Thank you to those who have already voted, including the guests! Even though they couldn't vote in the poll, I really appreciate them giving me their votes in a review. Thank you again to the readers who reviewed the last chapter (: Thanks for reading and see you till the next update!**


	25. The Games: Day Six & Seven

**I am very sorry you guys had to wait for this chapter for a long time. I want to thank my dear friend **_**Dancingchocolatesmudge **_**for beta-reading this chapter. She is an awesome beta-reader and author! You should check out the stories she wrote. **

**If I haven't replied to your review and thanked you like I usually would, I apologize. I will take the time to appreciate every one of them right now.**

**Morganbishop: Thank you (:**

**GreenPokeGuy: Yeah, it really affects them, like that burn Katniss had in her games. I agree, the Careers are lucky and I guess the other tributes are going to have to try and work with nature. Haha, yeah she'll end up pulling her hair out of her head if she has to sit down for the rest of the games. **

**nightlock99: Thank you! She's just one of those people that you can't help but admire despite their wicked personality. Like Clove, who is me favorite character! Thank you for the awesome review! (:**

**nyan743: Thank you! Aww, thanks. After this story I'm planning on doing a Clato Modern-day AU. Thanks again! (:**

**SafeEyesOpen: Thank you! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy this new chapter! (:**

* * *

The smell of roasted deer causes my mouth to salivate. I sit on my sleeping bag, impatiently waiting for the meal to be prepared. I can probably hoist myself up with the support of the metal wall beside me, but the others will scold me and have me sit back down. I stay seated and play with my spears while the others are gathered around the cooking meat.

Sitting on a sleeping bag waiting for your slightly charred and swollen leg to heal is a wonderful way to spend a day in the arena…_not. _I should be ordering the others to prepare for a tribute hunt tonight or discuss a list of people with the ability to escape our trap. I haven't forgotten the sliced rope we found when we came back from killing Electra. I'm still pissed off and I still have the urge to wring the escapee's neck.

"Just to let you know, I don't like my meat burnt." I hear Caiden say.

"Shut up. I bet you don't even know how to make a fire." Marina snaps.

"I do know how to make a fire, but I bet you have no clue on how to cook." Caiden shoots back. "Vinera, why did you even allow her to come near the pan?" he asks.

"Both of you need to stop or I'll throw this hot piece of meat at your faces." Vinera stops the argument.

"Can we just roast everything and hurry along? Amethine must be hungry." Evan says in a tired tone.

"She is!" I exclaim.

"Told you," Evan tells them.

"Hold your horses, golden goddess, it's almost done." says Caiden.

"If you guys keep fighting over there I will throw my spear." I threaten. I wouldn't actually do that, but if my stomach keeps complaining and they don't shut up I am going to crawl over there and shove my good foot up their asses.

"I don't think she's joking." Sebastian warns.

"Is it ready yet?" Caiden asks impatiently.

"Yes, now be quiet." Marina says in annoyance.

"All done." Vinera announces.

"Finally,"

Caiden jogs over to the crate and takes a bowl and spoon. He quickly walks over to the pan and serves himself. He ignores the warning Marina gave him about waiting for it to cool off and takes a bite. He spits it out and fans his mouth.

"I told you wait," Marina snickers. Vinera joins in and they laugh hysterically.

"Whatever, I'm hungry." he dismisses.

The others serve themselves. Marina walks up to me and hands me a bowl. She sits next to me on the sleeping bag and we dig in. Vinera and Caiden sit next to each other on beside the black crate, Sebastian is probably eating somewhere at the back, maybe because he just wants to be alone. Evan and Gary are sitting on the grass next to the pan having a conversation.

"Delicious" I comment.

"Right? All I did was flip the meat, Vinera was the one who did all the seasoning stuff."

"What did she use to season this?" I ask.

"She used all the salt from two of those peanut snacks."

"Smart." I admit. If you don't have everything you need, it's best that you improvise or come up with something close to whatever it is.

I stuff the last piece of meat into my mouth. "Marina, can I have another serving if you don't mind?" I ask politely. "Sure," she says and takes my bowl.

When she comes back I thank her and scrape my bowl clean. I set it down and drink some water from my flask. That was one good meal.

I look at my leg and try to move it. Any movement is fine, a wiggle, shake, as long as it moves. Nothing.

"I wonder when it'll start moving again." I voice my thoughts.

"Patience." Marina says like a wise old woman.

"That's something one of my mentors, Mags, would say." she explains.

I remember Mags- the woman who could transform any object into a fishhook. She was a skilled career, but not as bloodthirsty as the others. Not as bloodthirsty as me. She was humble for a tribute from district 4, but let me tell you, she is amazing with a harpoon.

"I know Mags. What's the name of your other mentor again? Oh yes, Finnick Odair-the victor of the 58thhunger games." I remember.

"Yeah, he and Mags are both great." she says with a smile.

"I wish I could say the same thing about my mentors." I joke. "Why, what's wrong with them?" she asks.

"Nothing, they're great. They are quite a bunch." I sigh.

"Are we saving the leftover deer for dinner?" I change the subject.

"We cooked a lot, so there will definitely still be some left for dinner."

"Good, because that stuff is just delicious."

* * *

"It's okay, I don't want to sleep in the tent." I answer. It's our turn to sleep in the tent again, but I pass up the offer and insist that Evan take it for the night.

"You still can't move your leg?" Sebastian asks squatting down and scanning the wound.

"Yeah." I respond.

"Did you apply that medicine the sponsor sent?" he asked.

"Already did. The wound is healing, but getting my leg to move is the problem." I state.

"Give it some time. Maybe it'll move when the wound completely heals." He theorizes.

"Maybe."

"The deer is heated up. Dinner is ready." Vinera informs everyone.

"I'll get your food." Sebastian tells me and gets up. He returns with two bowls of deer in his hands. He hands me one and sits on the spot in front of me.

One serving was enough. I probably feel full because I had two big servings of the deer meat in lunch.

The sun has set already and there is no wind. It's a tad dark, but the fire is doing a good job at illuminating our whole camp. After giving Sebastian my bowl to put with the other used utensils, I lay on my back on the sleeping bag with my palms tucked underneath the back of my head. I look at the bright stars, which are probably fake; created by the Gamemakers just to replicate a real sky.

Them my mind drifts to the arena style the Gamemakers have designed this year. From watching every Games, this is one I've never seen before. I won't be surprised if the barns, the waters below our pedestals, and the forests are only one side of the entire arena. I bet there are other surprises lying around.

My eyelids start to feel heavy and they close without my consent.

* * *

**Day 7**

"Do you guys already know what to do?" I ask Vinera, Sebastian, and Evan. They nod.

"We're out of deer already, so if you see any wild animal with a lot of meat, take it down." I tell them.

"Do you have all the bowls and spoons?" I ask.

"Yep." Evan replies.

"How about the pot we used to cook the deer?" I ask.

"No, but I'll go get it." he says and walks over to grab the pot I'm talking about.

"Do you all have your first aid kits?" I ask. It takes them a few minutes to search their packs and make sure they have it with them before saying yes.

"Is everyone's flasks, bottle, and canteen in the bag?" I ask.

"Vinera, where's your flask?" Evan asks her.

"In my pack." She tells him.

"Evan, you will be in charge on the way to the stream and back." I inform.

"Remember, if you see any tribute, kill them…slowly."

"Make sure you thoroughly wash all of the utensils and purify the water." I add. "You guys can go now. Be careful, alright?" They all say yes and start jogging away.

When they're already far off, Marina sets out some canned goods in case they don't bring back any game. Marina tells me that we have five cans left.

"We need to hunt, soon." I let her know.

"Are you going to stay back and guard camp?" she asks.

"Yeah. I don't want to be the reason why we're starving." I admit.

After fifty minutes, Evan and the others return.

"You didn't see any wild animal the whole time there?" I ask Vinera.

"Nope." She shakes her head.

"You guys should hunt for food tonight." I suggest.

"Are you going to guard camp alone?" she questions.

"I need one person to guard with me." I reply.

"That's a goo-" Vinera was cut off by a deafening screech. It was so loud that it made everyone around me shield their ears with their hands.

"What the hell was that?!" I ask.

The screech was something like a girl screaming in horror, mixed with dogs growling, and a monkey cry.

"It's probably those mutts that were under our plates!" Vinera yells.

"The Gamemakers must've put a microphone down there." I say to myself.

There's another ear splitting screech. The world around me looks like it is spinning. I try to shake my head and get a clear view of everyone. That's when another screech rings out. That's when I black out.

* * *

**What the hell is going on? First the leg injury, now this? Some of you probably don't know why she knocked out of nowhere, but it will be explained in the next chapter. I just want to remind those who haven't voted in the poll to please vote. The poll is on my profile and tomorrow is the last day to vote. The poll will be closed when I return from school so get those votes in! (:**

**I will start putting what day of the games it is at the top because I'll eventually get confused and forget. I want to thank everyone who reviewed! They were all awesome! Thanks for reading and have a great day or evening! (:**


	26. The Games: Day Seven

**Thank you guys for the awesome reviews! I just want to clarify to those who think that there is tension between Marina and Caiden that Caiden just likes to make fun of her, resulting in the two of them having a lot of arguments. I hope that clears things up. Because you guys are awesome and give me encouraging feedback, as well as con-crit you all deserve a long chapter (: As requested by Clato02 I will reveal the career with the highest votes from my poll... it's Gary! **

**Response to some reviews.**

**Zjwafleman: Soon.**

**Amanda: I'm sorry that there hasn't been any deaths lately. Someone is going to die in this chapter and I hope it will it satisfy your bloodthirsty cravings! (:**

**nyan743: LOL. I'm sorry that you had to wait long. Honestly, I'm kinda impatient too and I understand how you feel. Please take this long chapter as an apology.**

* * *

The instant my eyes fly open I feel a throbbing pain coming from the back of my head. My head must've hit the ground pretty hard when I knocked out. I rub my head and look around for my allies. To my surprise they're all okay as if nothing happened. Vinera is practicing her swing with her axe, Gary is examining his slingshot, Marina's organizing the arrows in her sheath, Evan is eating a pack of dried fruits, and Sebastian is polishing his trident.

"You're up," Marina notices.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"We don't know. All of us were unconscious too." Gary joins in.

"You were out for about twenty minutes after I woke up." Marina tells me.

"Do you think we all knocked out at the same time?" I question.

"No. Call me crazy, but I think we got knocked unconscious by district. First Amethine, then Evan, Vinera, Caiden, Marina, Sebastian, then me." Gary answers.

"When one person blacked out how long did it take for the next person?" I ask.

"I'm guessing about a minute." Gary guesses.

"I was positive that that sound we heard would leave us deaf." He adds and tugs on his ear lobe.

"What do you think it was?" Marina asks us.

"I thought that the Gamemakers must've set up some microphones near the water under our plates. Then whenever those mutts screech, it'll ring out all over the arena." I presume.

"There's something about those sounds that really have an effect on us." Marina supposes.

"The Gamemakers might've altered them and have them slow us all down." I say.

"Or they're trying to bring all the tributes closer, so we can fight." Gary foresees.

"Yeah, that has happened before. The other tributes will probably try to find a place that is safe from the mutt's screams." I contribute my theory.

"What's all this talk about mutt's screams and microphones?" Vinera walks up and asks.

"We were just talking about those sounds we heard earlier." Marina lets her know.

"What do you guys think so far?" Vinera wonders.

I think it's best that we all discuss this. I call Sebastian, Caiden, and Evan over and they all sit around my sleeping bag. By the time everyone is present, they've form some type of circle around me. It's not a perfect circle, but it looks like one because everyone is closely gathered around. This is what you call an alliance discussion.

"Maybe it's meant for us to stay down while the Gamemakers set up something that they don't want us to know about until we discover it." Evan shares his thoughts.

"Maybe, but they wouldn't need us to knock out. Look at it this way, they have all the cool technology. Don't you think they'd be able to plant a bomb without us knowing?" Caiden asks.

"Or they probably want us to solve the riddle." Gary states. "You know, like the answer to the problem?" he adds.

"So you think that they want us to find a way to stop the sounds?" Sebastian asks him.

"That's what I think." Gary replies.

"Either that or they just want us to clash with the other tributes." I put in.

"Yeah, I know the audience is bored because there hasn't been any bloodshed lately." Vinera says nonchalantly.

"It's because of my leg." I speak up.

"It still can't move?" Gary asks.

"No." I say right away and stare at my injured leg.

_Move. _I keep my eyes glued to it and command it to move. It doesn't move, but I don't stop. I try again and failed. _One last time, then I'll stop. _My boot moves. It moved! I blink a few times and try to move it again to make sure that I didn't just imagine that. It moves again! Everyone around me cheers. My days of sitting on my sleeping bag and not being able to help the others are long gone. I can move my leg and walk again! What other better way to celebrate than have a tribute hunt?

"It looks like we're going hunting later on." I announce and earn some claps and shouts of joy.

* * *

Trying to stand up required some effort and a few helping hands. It felt like I got a new leg and was testing it out, because it felt a little weird. After some stretching and a couple of exercises, my leg felt okay. When the others saw that my leg was doing fine they started preparing for the hunt. I put my flask in my pack, attach my sheath of spears to the back of my pack, and double check if I have other needed equipment.

"What kind of trap should we set before we leave?" asks Gary.

"Definitely not the one we made last time." I comment.

"Why don't we try to make a more deadly one?" Evan suggests.

I raise my eyebrows in interest. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of making one that just traps a tribute let's make one that injures them." He responds.

"We should make a trap that when triggered, a knife will fall and stab the intruder." says Vinera.

"That's excellent." I claim. If the same tribute that stole from our camp falls for this trap, it will serve as revenge. Sweet revenge. I hope that he or she will be on the ground bleeding profusely when we return so I can finish them off very painfully.

"Shall we start building this brilliant trap?"

* * *

"No tribute will be able to escape this." I marvel at the clever trap that we've all put together. I am for sure that no one will get out of this one.

There are two things that any tribute will try to snatch from a career camp: Food and weapons. That's why we have left the crate full of canned goods open, but over it is a piece of rope. The tribute will pick the rope up and throw it away carelessly so they can start grabbing some canned food but that will be a big mistake. When the rope is tugged, a long spear attached to rope will descend and stab the tribute. What if the tribute dodges it, you ask? There will be another spear behind them that is positioned low to hit the feet and when they duck, they'll get stabbed in the back.

We have done the same thing with the weapons. We placed all the long spears and two utility knives in one big pile with a string of rope resting on the top. The same thing happens when the rope is tug which is one spear will fly in the front of the tribute and another will hit the back. This is what I mean when I say that no one will escape this.

"Where's the other pile of rope that we didn't use?" I ask.

"It's in my bag. We might need it." Sebastian answers. I nod in agreement.

"Does everyone have their flasks?" I ask. Everyone has it.

"How about a small snack like dried fruits and peanuts?" Everyone nods.

I don't need to ask about weapons because I know that they all have them. Typical careers don't need to double check if they have their weapons with them, but I make sure I have some backup knives in case there's a time where I have to sacrifice half of my spears.

"Do you all have your flashlights? We'll leave before dark, but we're returning way after night falls." I tell them. They rummage through their bags and give a thumbs-up when they see that they have one.

"Sleeping bags?" I ask. Check.

"Gary, take the utensil bag." I order.

"Why?"

"We're going to hunt for food because we're low on canned goods and there isn't much deer left. Now quit asking questions and get it." I direct and he walks away without a word to fetch it. When he comes back I double check if everyone has everything.

"We're ready." I announce.

We start walking behind the Cornucopia and in the direction of the forest. It may be late noon and the tributes will be able to see us, but we still keep our footsteps and voices low. Thank god the sun is still high in the sky because with the light, I can keep a close eye on everything. I lead and Sebastian takes up the rear. I stop the pack every time I see something weird and examine it. I'm still not sure what gave me that leg injury but I can use this time to figure it out.

I have folded the legs of my pants down and even tucked the edge of them in my boots to protect my leg. I advised the others to do so if they didn't want to end up with the wound I had. A fresh breeze flows by and leaves us with a refreshing feeling. Just like the other day, sounds of creatures twittering, squeaking, and singing fills the forest. I'm grateful for the height of the trees as for the reason that they shade us from the hot sun.

"Watch your step." I tell my allies.

"Do you think that an animal gave your leg that wound?" Gary asks out of curiosity.

"No, it was probably a plant." I reply. If it was an animal, we would've seen it scurry away.

"What if it was a small bug on a plant?" he asks.

"I don't think a small animal could leave my skin burned."

"These are just terrific." I pick up what Marina says.

"What is?" I turn around and ask and find Sebastian, Evan, Vinera, and Caiden hungrily picking blue berries from a bush. I assume that their safe to eat because none of them are collapsing or coughing violently.

My eyes widen. "What's wrong?" Marina asks me.

I crouch down and carefully examine the bush next to the one with berries. I gasp when my suspicions are confirmed. This is what caused my leg injury. Nettle leaves. Nettle leaves look like regular leaves, but the difference is that nettle leaves have microscopic needles that inject harmful chemicals in the human skin. On the day I got the injury, when we were walking out of the forest my leg must've brushed against a bunch of nettle leaves, thus making contact with the needles causing a ton of their chemicals to enter my skin.

"Stay back." I instruct the rest. "Get away from the berries." I say sternly.

They throw me questioning looks. "These are what gave me that wound." I point at the nettle leaves and make sure my finger is far away from it. I stand up and step away from the harmful leaves. "Let's go to the stream and fill our flasks." I notify them, wanting to get away from the nettle leaves and prevent my allies from getting hurt.

We get to the stream, dip our flasks in the water and scoop it up. I remind everyone to purify their water and ask Marina for one purification tablet since I used my last one on somebody else's flask when I was here the last time. While waiting for the purification tablets to fully dissolve, we sit around for a few minutes. I get up and tell the others to rise so we can continue on with our hunt for tributes. We go back to direction we came from and eventually exit the forest.

"Let's go that way." I point in the direction beyond the barns.

The others murmur in assent. We walk beyond the barns and I notice that the farther we go, the less grass there is. When we a far, far away from the barns and the forest we come to a clearing with no grass at all. Replacing the grass are rocks. We all come to a halt when we see a thirty five yard long ravine with a long, narrow log across the large gap. On the other side is a large boulder that weighs more than all of us put together. I slowly walk over to the edge and look down. Knowing the Gamemakers and their creative ways, water is out of the question. I'm proven right when I see the bubbling lava.

I walk back to the others. "What's down there?" asks Evan.

"Lava."

"Are we going to try and cross it or we do we retreat?" Gary questions.

"We're going to cross it." I simply state.

"How?" Sebastian asks.

"We use the log." Gary answers in a matter-of-factly tone.

"It's too narrow and I don't want to risk any of you falling." I tell Gary.

"I just thought that we can walk over it," he says sheepishly.

"We can't. We need to find another way to cross it without our lives at stake."

"What about the rope Sebastian has in his pack?" Vinera recommends.

"We can use it to tie it at both ends of the gap and get across safely." She explicates.

I'm about to agree when I notice something. "There is a boulder at that end, but there's nothing on this side that we can tie the rope around." I point out.

"Rub the crud out of your eyes, golden goddess." Caiden says. Before I can reply, he points at a boulder behind me.

"I didn't see that," I state.

"Well now you do, and now we figure out who is going to be the one to walk across the log and tie the rope around that boulder." He tells all of us. "I vote Marina," he adds. I look at Marina. She doesn't look mad.

"Why her?" I protest.

"She's the smallest one here and she can get it done quickly. She hasn't even done much and she only killed one tribute at the bloodbath. Now is the time to prove yourself, Marina." Caiden says in casual tone. "Besides, if you fall you can swim." He says sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Marina, but I agree with Caiden. Except for the last part." says Vinera.

"Marina _has _being doing much. She helps cook, she helped Amethine when her leg was paralyzed, and she helped set the trap." Sebastian defends his district partner.

"I'll do it." I volunteer to save some time and prevent an argument from breaking out.

"No, I will. Caiden is right, I can do it faster." Marina stops it all.

"Are you sure?" Sebastian and I ask in unison. She nods and gives us a reassuring smile. Sebastian glowers at Caiden and pulls the rope out of his pack. He hands it to Marina and asks her again is she's okay with doing it. He even tells her that she doesn't have to and said that he can do it.

"I can do it." Marina assures him. We help Marina tie half of the rope around the boulder. I pull it a couple of times to make sure that it's tight. Before stepping onto the log, Marina wraps the rope around her waist and gets into a push-up position. She crawls towards the log and hugs it with her hands and legs.

"She has always been afraid of heights." Sebastian nibbles on his nails nervously.

"She'll be okay. What she's doing right now is a smart move." I try to get him to relax even if I'm scared myself.

"She's fast, but she looks scared." Gary watches.

Marina keeps her eyes glued in the distance but when she looks down she gets nervous and stops for a moment. Sebastian shouts encouraging words to her and she continues. She is halfway there when her right hand slips and she almost falls. We all gasp, but let out a sigh of relief when she regains her balance. I see her hug the log tighter and she inches towards the other side quicker. When Marina finally reaches the other side and stands up and walks over to the boulder, Sebastian tells Caiden: "If she didn't make it, I would've thrown you in." but Caiden just brushes this off.

After Marina secures the line around the boulder and pulls it to make sure it stays, Vinera volunteers to go first. Before she goes, Caiden asks to speak with her in private and they go behind the big boulder. Since I'm standing near it, I pick up some of their conversation.

"Be careful, okay?" Caiden tells her in a serious tone. I don't hear Vinera say anything and my ears pick up what could be a quick kiss. I couldn't tell if it was on the lips or the cheek. I don't get why he has to speak with her privately when every citizen in Panem will see them anyway. They come back and Vinera holds onto the rope and plants her feet on the log. She takes a deep breath and starts walking. At first she takes small steps but when she gains bravery, she starts walking a bit faster.

Gary goes next and unlike Vinera, he looks like a scared cat being held above water. Evan tries to get him to relax and only slightly succeeds. Gary hasn't gotten to the other side when Evan gets on. Evan isn't scared at all and reaches Gary in less than fifteen minutes. I don't hear it, but it looks like Evan is saying soothing words to Gary and tries to get him to hurry because the sun is about to set and Vinera has already reached the other side. Gary and Evan are almost to the other side when Sebastian starts stepping onto the log. When Gary and Evan have joined Vinera and Marina at the other side, Sebastian is halfway there. Caiden decides to start getting on.

When Caiden is halfway and Sebastian has reached the other side, I step onto the log. I decide to just leave the rope because I don't want to go through the whole nail biting suspense when we're going to return the camp and have Marina tie the rope on the boulder of the other side. I walk at a decent pace and keep my eyes up. I'm at a stone's throw away from Caiden. He is faster than me and reaches the other side once I'm on the halfway point. About seven minutes later, I join everyone.

"Why did we even come here in the first place?" Vinera asks.

"They're might some tributes and game." I reply. I look around at the rocky terrain and notice a mountain in the distance. Well isn't this arena just full of different landscapes. We walk forward and come across a clear place. There is no grass, but there weren't any jagged rocks either.

"Let's take a five minute break." I tell the others.

I take my pack off and set it on the ground. I sit on the hot rock and let the sun hit my face. I open my pack and eat the dried beef covered in tomato sauce. When I finish it, I drink water and stuff them back in my pack. We won't be able to go back to camp before sundown and I want to find a place to camp out in before it gets completely dark. This place won't do because it's out in the open, leaving us vulnerable.

We continue on our trek and find a cave. The cave isn't very big, but we could all fit inside. I go in with a spear and a flashlight to check if it's clear. There's nothing but darkness, rocks, and dirt. We put our things inside and set our sleeping bags around.

After we get settled in,I leave to go use the restroom. I take a flashlight and walk out of the cave. I already have three throwing knives in my belt, so I'm armed. I pick a spot behind some boulders and when I'm done I make my way back to camp. I hear footsteps.

At first, I predict that it's an animal. The chance of another tribute being out here is practically nil. I doubt that a non-career has the guts to cross the ravine. But then again, these footsteps don't sound like they belong to an animal. I shine my flashlight in the direction it comes from. I jump when the light lands on Terraine's face. She has a creepy smile on her lips. Like a mischievous yet wild smile. I was right, she is psycho. She surprises me by tackling me down, knocking the flashlight out of my hands. Fortunately, when it falls the light stays on us.

"You thought I was weak, didn't you?" she asks. She managed to pin me down. _Dammit, I shouldn't have underestimated you._

"Yeah, so how are you going to kill me?" I ask nonchalantly.

Her crazy laughter fills the air. It's so creepy that it sends a chill down my spine. "You're already dead!" she says, that smile still plastered to her lips.

"When you enter the games, you're already dead!" she slaps my face.

She uses both of her hands to pin mine down. Stupid girl, I still have my feet. I knee her in the stomach and she groans. When she bends over to clutch it, I shove her off and stand up. I duck when she tries to slap me and punch her in the guts. Terraine quickly throws herself at me and starts clawing my face. If she had Beryl's claws, my flesh would be mutilated. Due to her weight, we fall on the ground and roll over. We land with me on top of her. The flashlight is far away, making it dim at where we are.

I'm finally able to grab her hands and twist them behind her back as I force her to stand. She screams and laugh. "Death, death, death, death, death!" she chants. "Mori Volo!" she exclaims. I grab the back of her neck and slam her head into a boulder. She doesn't stop laughing and continues her weird chant. I slam her with all the force I have until her laughing dies down. Then she stops and her body falls to the ground. Her cannon fires.

I hear other footsteps and pull a knife out of my belt. I put it down when I see that it is my allies. "Amethine!" Vinera calls.

"It's me." I confirm my identity.

They shine their flashlights around and spot Terraine's body. I turn around and notice the pool of blood coming from her head. Evan shines his flashlight on me and I see blood smeared on my bare palms.

"What happened?" he asks.

"You won't believe me when I tell you."

* * *

**You know that line that Caiden said to Amethine? "Rub the crud out of your eyes, golden goddess." I got it from Spongebob. It's what Mr. Krabs said to Spongebob in some episode, I'm not sure which one. Thank you all for the positive feedback on the previous chapters! Thanks for reading and May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!**

**Deaths:**

**Terraine from district 9**


	27. Dead and Gone

**I am truly sorry for not updating. I have recently joined the 24 author collaboration and we're currently working on a project. I really didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so please enjoy this chapter. It's a filler, but it's long and hopefully you'll like it. Again, I am very sorry. This chapter was supposed to be up yesterday, but my internet decided to be a b- to me. Excuse my language, but it was frustrating to get the connection going until I decided to give up. Anyways, thank you for all the amazing reviews on the previous chapter (:**

**Response:**

**nyan743: Thank you! You should make one, having a FF account is awesome! Thank you for that suggestion and I will think about it. Thank you again!**

**Zjwafleman: I'm not making any promises about that happening...**

**Amanda: Same as stated in the author's note above, I'm sorry. I hate to keep you guys waiting for so long. But please understand that between school, cooking club, and the 24 author collaboration which requires 4,000 words per chapter is very hectic. I understand how you feel, because I get like that when a story I love isn't updated for a long time. Moving onto another subject. I like your suggestion of putting up a list of not only the fallen, but the alive tributes as well. Thank you for that (:**

* * *

"It's no surprise that Gary's district partner was a lunatic. I mean, she had to deal with Gary during the whole train ride to the Capitol and endured living with Gary in both the Capitol and district nine." Caiden grins teasingly at Gary after I finish telling everyone about my fight with Terraine.

Gary glares at Caiden so sharp, it could cut mentally cut him. "Can you be serious for once?"

"I can, but I choose not to." Caiden retorts.

"Don't even start arguing, we have a serious situation at hand here." Vinera says tiredly.

"I don't think that's hard to believe. I mean, she looked crazy." Evan tells me.

"I thought she just looked crazy. I didn't know she _was _actually crazy."

"We heard her screaming something, but we couldn't hear it clearly. What was she screaming about?" asks Marina. I shine my flashlight around the cave in a paranoid manner. Talking about Terraine's eerie chant gives me the goosebumps.

"First she said something about 'when you enter the games, you're already dead' and then started chanting 'death, death, death'" I recollect that moment.

What if what Terraine had said was true? Could she be right about being dead once you've entered the Hunger Games?_ She is just psycho, Amethine. She doesn't even know what she's saying. Don't beat yourself up over it. It's not true._ A little voice in my head tells me. What I can't place my finger on is that phrase she chanted. I think it was 'mori volo'. What the hell is that supposed to mean? It's most likely to be a language that existed long before Panem was created. If so, how does Terraine even know about it?

"Earth to Amethine, are you there?" Vinera snaps me out of my thoughts by lightly tapping on my forehead.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something. What were you saying?" I say sheepishly.

"I said 'Did she give you other injuries besides the scratches?'" she repeats. My hands go up to the little bandages covering the small cuts I got from Terraine's nails.

"No. Other than that, I'm okay." I answer.

Vinera nods. "I think we should start cooking that animal we killed." When we were walking back here, we saw this white, furry animal scurry past our feet. We gave chase, craving the meat of crispy, fresh game like a pack of hungry wolves. We literally looked like wolves running at our fastest pace just to fulfill our cravings. The creature led us to the nest of its species which was under a rock the size of a bow. Up close, they somewhat looked like a rat with its pink nose and little, plump body. Nonetheless, we wasted no time and speared each one of the rodents and happily carried our kills back to camp. After tending to my wounds, we counted a total of five of the animal.

"Yes we should." Gary licks his lips hungrily. Caiden pats his head. "Is little, baby Gary hungry?" he coos.

"Knock it off." Gary says in annoyance and pushes his hand away.

I assist Marina and Vinera in plucking and cleaning the rat-looking thing while the boys get out all the bowls and spoons. It's really late at night and I can see the bright moon through a tiny hole in the ceiling of the cave. Every here and now a gust of wind would blow into our little cave, causing us to shiver. I give Vinera the game I worked on and she lays it in the pan next to hers.

"Did you know Terraine back home?" I ask Gary while Vinera and Marina fry the game.

"She was my classmate in every year of school and our families would trade a few things with each other."

"Aww, was she your girlfriend?" asks Caiden.

"No, she was not!" Gary says defensively.

"Were you guys friends?" Evan wonders.

"She didn't have any friends. Before, she was normal. She wasn't that crazy looking girl that she soon turned into."

"What do you think made her go crazy?" I ask out of curiosity. There must've been a breaking point in some part of the girl's life.

"I'm not sure. Not a lot of bad things have happened to her. At least, none that I know of. Though there have been rumors of her grandparents getting secretly executed by the Capitol." Gary tries to think.

"Why were they executed?" Evan questions.

"They might've been convicted of being active rebels." Gary replies.

"Well, what do you think?" Caiden asks. He finally decided to shut up and listen.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just a lie. Every year we've been in the same class, she has barely spoken to me. She usually sits at the back of the class and stays quiet."

"Was she even smart?" Caiden asks.

"Yeah."

"What a surprise." I say. How could a psycho, nail-biting, 'death, death, death' chanting girl be intelligent?

"Everyone made fun of her." Gary continues. "She would always run away and hide whenever she was teased."

"Let me guess. She would get laughed at all the time and you would stick up for her and you both lived happily ever after." Caiden jokes.

"No! I didn't stick up for her." Gary looks at the ground in shame, full of regret for not standing up for his dead district partner. Does Gary care about Terraine? If we had all found Terraine, would he have done something to save her? I'm sure he wouldn't want to risk getting killed by stopping us, but would he have thought about it? There's only one person who has the answer to these questions and that's Gary. I could ask him, but why would I even care? I killed Terraine, that's it. She's dead and gone.

"Do you regret not standing up for her?" Evan asks the question that's on my mind.

"A little. Although we barely spoke, I should have done something. My mom would've wanted me to do that. My parents knew Terraine and would be disappointed if they found out that she was teased and I did nothing."

After that sentence, there's a silence between the three of us, the only sound being Vinera and Marina's voices discussing the preparation of the dish.

"Food's ready." Marina breaks the silence.

We fill our bowls with the meat and sit down on a clear spot on the dirt. By the time everyone is seated, we all have a bowl in our hands and are spread on areas throughout the cave. We engage in conversation about the last two tributes that need to be hunted: Marcus from district 5 and Mina from district 12. After we kill these two, we either split up or turn on each other. I'm not scared of either, I can take one these guys.

"I saw Marcus at the camouflage station at training back at the Capitol. The kid was excellent with disguising and blending in." I pop some meat into my mouth. Tastes good.

"Does anyone remember seeing him taking anything from the Cornucopia?" I ask everyone.

"I did." says Marina.

"What did he take?" I ask.

"A small blue bag. I'm not sure what was in it."

"Must be paint." I hypothesize.

"How 'bout the district 12 girl?" Gary asks about Mina. I'm surprised at how far she's made it. I always thought of her as the depressed girl from the sad, faraway look in her eyes. I wonder if it's all just an act. Based on my incident with Terraine, I can't end up underestimating both of these tributes and end up getting proven wrong.

"I'm not sure she has skills." Vinera says with a mouthful of food.

"I didn't pay attention to her in training." Says Evan.

"Same here." Caiden agrees.

"Well she has to be good at something. How is she still alive if she isn't talented?" I ask. The girl has got to be good at something. Healing, archery, hunting, I don't care. I just need an explanation to how she is still alive.

After a discussion to what possible skills Mina could possess, most of us have already finished their food and are ready to sleep. I rise and put my empty bowl on the ground next to the utensil bag. I get into my sleeping bag and keep my eyes open. The thought of Terraine's words come to mind. I know that I dismissed this earlier, but I don't think it will ever go away. Was she right?_ No, she was not._ The voice responds.

I hope it's right.

* * *

**From now on, I will also post up the list of the remaining tributes. This was suggested by the guest reader Amanda, so a thank you to her for the idea. Guess what? Someone is going to die in the next chapter! Things will get interesting since there are only 7 (about to become 6) days left of the games! Thank you for reading and again, I am sorry for not updating.**

**The fallen:**

**District 3: Electra and Bolton**

**District 5: Augustina**

**District 6: Latteine and Nick**

**District 7: Sequoia and Tanner**

**District 8: Amber and Derek**

**District 9: Terraine**

**District 10: Bonnie and Timothy**

**District 11: Maggie and Feltrix**

**District 12: Calvin**

**The Remaining Tributes:**

**District 1: Amethine and Evan**

**District 2: Vinera and Caiden**

**District 4: Marina and Sebastian**

**District 5: Marcus**

**District 9: Gary**

**District 12: Mina**


	28. One Ally Down

**You guys don't know how sorry I am for not updating for such a long time. I feel really bad for keeping you all waiting for a month. Just like I promised, someone in the career alliance will die. Will it be the tribute that received the most votes in the poll I created? Or did I switch things around and kill someone else? This chapter is long, I promise you and there is no cliffhanger. Again I am very sorry for not updating for a long time and thank you to _Liilac Alyssa Halliwell _for beta-reading this chapter!**

**Response:**

**Amanda: I am so sorry. I appreciate your love for the story and I feel so bad for not updating for a really long time. I will try my best to update sooner. I am so sorry. I hope this chapter will make up for it!**

**morganbishop: Sorry for the wait. I was really busy with school. Here is the update you asked for, hope you like it (:**

* * *

With all the commotion going on in my mind, I start to get a headache. My brain is too tired to handle all of this right now, so it's best that I get some sleep and try to forget about it. What if it never leaves me? What if Terraine's words are scarred into my brain forever and there's no way I can forget about them? I need to distract myself and refrain from thinking or talking about it. No Terraine, no problem. Yeah, maybe that's all I need; to stop thinking about her words and her herself. I'll shut everything out. _Don't think about anything and sleep._

**XXXXX**

The second my eyes open I instantly feel some hair sticking to the back of my neck. It's disgusting, but I was trained for this. I remember when we had to stay at the training center back home for a month. It was to prepare us for the harshness of the Hunger Games. For one week we couldn't bathe, another we couldn't eat a full meal, only little snacks that didn't really help much. For one week we had to stay up the whole day to help prepare ourselves for staying awake when we had to keep watch and whenever someone fell asleep their food ration was reduced to half a protein bar. All of this plus we weren't able to sleep on comfortable mattresses. When it was bed time, we would go to the back of the center, in the grass and dirt, and lay on a single bed sheet. Yes, a single bed sheet, meaning only one thin sheet to cover the ground under us. Most of us, including myself earned a sore back from that. If you thought that because we are from district 1 the training would be luxurious, you're damn wrong.

I take my jacket off and get out of my sleeping bag. With the heat, my sleeping bag isn't helping with its thick fabric, which is meant to protect us from the cold. It just makes me feel sweatier. I throw my jacket onto the sleeping bag and stretch. I look around the small cave and then rub my eyes to make sure I'm not seeing things wrong. Nope, my vision is fine and what I see is Vinera and Caiden cuddled together in one sleeping bag. I feel bad for them. They're probably sticking to each other from the sweat. Near them lays Marina, who is unconsciously swatting a fly away from her ear. They are the only ones asleep. The others might be outside, not wanting to stay in and endure the body heat.

I'm proven right when I find Evan, Gary, and Sebastian outside talking with their weapons clasped tightly in their palms. The three are sitting on a boulder and are in deep conversation, but I can't hear what it's about. I survey the area. Ten yards to my right is a mockingjay bird perched on a boulder bigger than the one the boys are resting on. The mockingjay is a bird that wasn't planned to be created. From what the Capitol says, they are an accident. In school my teacher told us that they come from two different breeds: Mockingbird and Jabberjays. Jabberjays are birds that were made by Capitol scientists to record conversations. The Capitol made it to record the rebels' plans and the birds reported everything to the Capitol. But the rebels eventually discovered this and said false things to the bird who then fed lies to the Capitol. The Capitol got rid of the Jabberjays in the woods, but the male Jabberjays mated with the female Mockingbirds, thus a Mockingjay is born.

"Damn, it's hot." Evan fans himself with his free hand.

"Hey Amethine," Sebastian acknowledges.

I nod in response. "When did you guys wake up?"

"An hour ago," Gary answers. Whoa, what such early birds they are.

"Have any of you had anything to eat?"

"We ate a pack of trail mix," Sebastian speaks.

'What's that?" I ask.

"It's that small bag full of different nuts inside," Gary clarifies.

"That's it?" I question. They nod.

"Are you guys hungry?" If three boys shared one snack for breakfast, surely they're still hungry.

"A little," Gary admits. My eyes go to Sebastian and Evan. They both nod. I head back into the cave and look for the container that Vinera had stored the leftover meat from last night. I find it on the ground five feet away from the foot of my sleeping bag. I open it up and see two left. Though there are only two left, there will be a lot when it gets chopped up into pieces. I get four bowls out of the utensil bag and use a knife to cut both of the meat. I spill the sliced up rodent into each of the bowls. Now with the last of the game being finished, we need to hunt today. We may have finished the game, but the others can eat the few remaining cans of oatmeal.

"Thank you," Evan says gratefully when I hand him his bowl.

"Welcome," I mutter and give Gary and Sebastian their food and they thank me too. I nod and start eating. No one says anything while we eat. Good, because I don't feel like talking that much and if Gary was yapping away while I'm trying to enjoy my meal, I'd slap his face with a rock.

I shove the last piece of food in my mouth and put it back in the cave. Water. We need water. Not only will we have to hunt for food, but water as well. The three people who are still sleeping need to get up. The color of the sun is telling me that it's late morning. I walk over to the sleeping bag Vinera and Caiden are sleeping in. Caiden has Vinera in a bear hug and there's a smile on her face. They must be happy to have a chance to be like this. I wonder what the people in Two are saying about their relationship. Judging by the personality of past tributes of previous games, I'd say love is the last thing they need. Maybe Vinera doesn't care about what others say. She's just happy with Caiden.

I use my left hand to shake Caiden's shoulder. When he doesn't move, I shake it harder. I use both hands to shake his shoulders awake. Finally, he stirs. He opens one eye and closes it when the sun's bright light leaches in. "Get up. We need to hunt and find water." I turn away, but in the corner of my eye I see him turn to the girl next to him. A smirk spreads on his face. I wonder if Vinera is Caiden's weakness. It's hard to believe that a big brutish boy like Caiden has a weakness, let along it being a girl. But she's probably just not any girl to Caiden. Maybe there's more to this relationship than I think.

I'm folding my jacket when Vinera jumps out of her sleeping bag and runs outside so fast, that when I turn around to see what's wrong she is already out of the cave. Caiden goes after her and I just stand there like an idiot trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I walk out of the cave and hear someone gagging. Then I get it; Vinera is vomiting. Sebastian, Gary, and Evan are still on the boulder, but they're looking at Vinera. They were as clueless as I was. Vinera appears from the side of the cave and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that boulder rodent." she says quietly.

"You okay now?" asks Caiden. Vinera nods.

Vinera opens the last three cans of oatmeal and heats it up. I notice that she only pours herself a small portion. She probably doesn't want to risk throwing up again. Caiden serves himself and eats beside Vinera. They're almost done with their breakfast when awakes. She greets the three of us with a tired smile and gets her food. I walk out of the cave and leave the three who have just woken up to eat their food. I scan the boulder the boys are situated on. Compared to the Cornucopia, it's not huge. I'm guessing that they managed to get to the top by placing their hands and feet in the small cracks. I decide to go back in the cave and start preparing for the hunt. I grab my pack and toss my sheath of spears over my left shoulder. I exit the cave and sit on the ground parallel to the boys and wait for the three to finish eating so we can start hunting.

We didn't have to wait that long. No one had a second serving of breakfast, which meant that all that's left is for the others to get equipped. I get the packs of Gary, Sebastian, and Evan and hurl it towards them. I didn't give them a heads up, so I want to laugh when I see Gary's eyes widen as the pack gets closer and closer. When everyone is armed and ready to go, I want to have a quick discussion.

"We're not familiar with this part of the arena, so I want everyone to stay close. Any questions?" I ask the group.

"What if a mutt chases us?" asks Vinera. "That's when we split up. Splitting up will make it harder for the mutt to get to us-that's if it's a gigantic mutt. If it's a big mutt, we split up. If it's a size we can take on, we run and hide. We wait for it to approach and kill it." I tell her. "Any more questions?" I ask everyone one last time before we leave. Everyone shakes their head.

"Well then, let's go." We start in the direction beyond the cave. I take up the front of the group and Sebastian guards the rear. I always have him posted at the back because I know that he'll act quickly if something tries to attack us from behind.

No one says anything as we walk. The only sound that fills the air is our boots trudging on the hard, flat ground. My allies are probably quiet either because they aren't familiar with the place and are reluctant to make any noise that could trigger a mutation attack or they're just not in the mood. My reason for not talking is due to my mind developing a list of possibilities to where there might be water. My hand goes to my token-the necklace with an Ametrine stone hanging. I rub it gently. The sight of it reminds me of home and when it does, it gives me a boost of encouragement. It reminds me why I'm competing in the Hunger Games. I am fighting for pride, glory, and to remind the Capitol and all the other districts of Panem that district 1 is strong. They produce your typical careers that are just as strong as those of district 2 and 4.

I may look like you're stereotypical district 1 female, but I stand out in my own way. My victory will serve as a reminder that not everyone in my district is just a pretty face.

* * *

The trainers have taught me many ways of locating a water source. One is listening for a sound that indicates that there is water. This sound may be a water current, a drip, and much more. There could be water underground. Scratch that, we're standing on hard ground not grass. Another way to finding water is following animals. Frogs, rabbits, squirrels; who cares. As long as there are animals, there has got to be water lying around somewhere or how else will they get hydrated? You can follow an animal and if you're lucky and just in time to tag along while they take a water break, it will help. I don't see any woodland creatures here, just some poisonous insects. Take this scorpion that's the size of my boot cut in half for an example. There's no point of following it around. I squash it with my boot and continue on the trek.

The last method is mud. Mud is made up of dirt and water. Key word: water. If there's mud, there's water. The water won't be too far away. I don't see any of the brown, mushy substance anywhere here. I'm about to give up hope when my mind goes to something. Water can run through a crevice in a rock and there are a lot of rocks around me. Hope springs from my chest. Maybe I won't have to spend a lot of time searching for water. Most of that time saved can go to hunting for other tributes. This will be fun.

Where can I possibly find water in a rock terrain? There are rocks everywhere. You barely see a tree or a strip of grass in this section of the arena. Nothing but boulders, stones, crevices and…wait crevices! Water can be found in crevices! Maybe if I listen closely, there might be some running underneath the ground. Vinera's axe might be strong enough to make more room for us to gather some water.

I decide to stop the others. I get on my knees and put my right ear to the ground. Before the others can question this, I put a hand up, a signal for them not to speak. I stick a finger in my left ear, making it easier for my other ear to pick up any sound beneath the ground. Nothing.

"Let's keep moving." I get up and dust my clothes off.

"What was that for?" Caiden questions.

"Checking for water."

We continue moving north. I know it's stupid, but I start to think about worst case scenarios. A worst case scenario would be hunting for things that are less likely to even be found: Water and animals. If we don't find any water and keep walking under the scorching sun, one by one we'll fall like dominos. If we can't find food, then we'll have to live off of plants and the snacks we have in our packs and when there's none of that left, we may get desperate for meat, maybe even become cannibals. I start to shudder at the thought. Will I ever be so hungry to the point where I'd sink my teeth into bare human flesh? I hope not.

I'm on the brink of giving up when I hear a bird chirping. Make that plural, judging by the mixed tones and how the sounds aren't in unison. I stop and look around for the creature that is responsible for the noise. There they are perched on a branch on one of the rare trees we find in this section of the arena is a family of mockingjays. I assume that the biggest one is the father, the second biggest the mother, and the three small ones are the babies. The parents are the size of a sword cut in half and the babies are as big as a medium dagger.

"Marina, would you like to do the honors?" I ask the small district 4 female tribute. She smiles and loads her bow. She closes one eye and takes aim. She pulls the arrow back and sends it flying towards the family of Mockingjays. Marina's arrow pierces the mother in the stomach and its lifeless body falls off the branch and onto the ground. Terrified of being the next victim, the family leaves the branch. I pull a spear out of my sheath and hurl it towards the father. The spear reached its target. Caiden jumps in and throws two stars. One baby Mockinjay falls victim to the shuriken stars, but the other one flies away just in time.

I walk over to the dead birds and pick up their limp bodies. I place my spear back in its sheath and return the other weapons that helped catch the birds to their owners. We caught three birds, which is not bad. It won't fill our stomachs, but that's why we have to keep hunting. I attach one bird to my belt with some string I found in my pack. I have Vinera and Sebastian attach the others to their belt since the throwing knives occupy most of the space on mine. Just a few more game, then water.

* * *

With the birds attached to our belts, I was filled with confidence. But now with the heat and our empty flasks and canteens that confidence has been shattered. Most of us are practically dragging our feet, but as leader I need to keep everyone's head up and keep moving. We've come to a halt here and there because Gary needed to 'catch his breath'. It was slightly annoying due to the fact that we all felt the same way, but didn't whine. It is such a shame that Marina could endure it more than him.

"20 minute break. Sit down, relax, and catch your breath. After that we keep moving." I take my pack off and set it on the ground.

"Out here in the open?" asks Gary. I've chosen a spot behind an enormous boulder. There are no trees around and with the boulder we'll only have to guard three sides. Front, left, and right.

"Yes, out here. Where else would we go?"

"Not sure who or what's here, so I'll keep watch while all of you relax." I say. I sit on the ground and cross my legs with my sheath of spears sitting on my lap.

* * *

Someone taps me on the shoulder. I quickly turn and shove the person back.

"Don't do that. Don't catch me by surprise." Gary gets up and pats the dirt off of his pants. I did the same thing to Evan when he woke me up. I grabbed his hand when he shook me. This is the Hunger Games, every move matters. One move can get you killed; one can pave the road to victory. You can't blame me. That's just how instincts work.

"You've been on guard for about ten minutes. I was just gonna see if you want me to take over so you can go and relax."

I nod. "Thanks." I make my way to the boulder and sit down, with my back leaning on the huge rock. I close my eyes to keep the suns bright light out. The boulder doesn't feel comfortable at all. I lay on my side and put my left ear to the ground, not worrying about the dirt. I close my eyes again and try to imagine being in a peaceful place. I try to concentrate and block everything out, but there's a sound in my ear. Curious, I place my ear a little closer. Sounds like a current. A current…water! Yes, I've finally found water!

But there's no crevice in sight. I guess we're going to have to break the ground open ourselves. Marina's arrows won't do a thing, my spears will probably break, Caiden shuriken stars are useless, Gary's slingshot won't afflict the slightest damage, Sebastian's trident aren't made for it which leaves Vinera's axe to do the job.

"I found water! Vinera, bring your axe!" I inform the others. They excitedly gather around. Vinera has her axe in hand and a determined look on her face. "What if my axe isn't strong enough?" she asks. I have thought of that, but it's worth a try.

"Hit the boulder. Everyone get back."

Everyone gives Vinera space and she lifts the axe. She brings it down with all of her strength. The boulder isn't affected. I nod for her to continue. She hits it again and again and I see a cut slowly appear. It's working.

"You can stop now." I tell her.

"Now, hit here." I bend down and pat the spot that I heard the current. I put both of my hands out to my sides and back up, pushing the others back as well.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Sebastian asks me.

"Long." I respond. Vinera starts to get tired. I look at the ground to see what she has done. The outcome doesn't look too impressive. It resembles what would be a clean slash on skin.

"We're all going to take turns doing this." I take the axe from Vinera and order the others to give me some room.

When the axe comes into direct contact with the ground I realize how hard this will be. The axe slightly vibrates every time it I hit the blade against the hard earth. I'm hitting the ground for the second time when sweat starts to pour down my face. I ignore it and push myself more, adding more and more strength with each hit. The faster we do this the sooner we'll get the job done.

I start to tire and decide to stop and give it to someone else. I've made the cut a few inches deeper. I get on the ground and listen. We probably need to cut eight inches deeper to get to the water.

"Gary, come on over." I place the axe in his hands when he reaches me. "Hit it with everything you got, which isn't much by the way." I smirk. He scowls at me as he takes the weapon. He must've tried to prove my comment about him being weak wrong by displaying his physical strength. The first hit was okay and I start to scold myself for underestimating him. It seems that underestimating others is an annoying and dangerous habit of mine. Gary hits the ground repeatedly and not only does he hit the area that Vinera created, but he starts to hit a few inches under, making the line longer. I watch the earth underneath the axe get a little deeper. Then Gary starts getting slow, breathing heavily.

Sebastian volunteers to go next and Gary gives him the axe. The minute you first see Sebastian you already know he's strong. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. That's why I wasn't surprised when his first hit made the cut in the ground a few inches deeper. Somewhere around his 15th hit, he starts perspire. His face is like a waterfall by the time he reaches he 30th hit, but he doesn't stop. The cut is getting deeper now, and Sebastian is making it wide enough that we can stick our flask and canteens in. Sebastian probably doesn't want to wait out here in the hot sun, so he's taking things into his own hands by opening up the ground himself. That he does, now the ground is open and the water is in sight.

"Good job Sebastian." Marina pats Sebastian on the shoulder and he smiles at her in return.

Everyone crouches near the water hole and dip their flask in. "Don't forget to purify it," I remind them. I ask Evan for a purifying tablet after I've filled my flask up. Everyone sits around, waiting for the purifying tablet to fully clean the water. When the waiting is over, we take a drink of our water, refill it, then purify it once more for later.

"Now we need to figure out how to protect this from animals." I say before we leave and hunt for more food.

"I already have something to cover it." Marina unzips her pack and pulls out a small, dark blue plastic tarp.

"That could work." I take it from her and examine it. It might be used for wrapping small game in.

"We cover the water hole with this and place rocks on each corner so it won't move." I tell my allies. They all agree. Evan fetches four medium sized rocks and Vinera lays the tarp over to hole and puts a rock on each corner. Perfect.

Now all we need to do is kill a few animals on the way to camp.

* * *

It'll be just another day in the arena. Wake up, get water, hunt for tributes, hunt for food, cook the food, and go to sleep and do the same thing the next day. After we've cooked the game a tribute hunt is definitely going to happen next. My next victim is definitely going to suffer.

"Do you hear that?" Vinera stops and asks.

I have been too occupied in my thoughts that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. "No, what does it sound like?"

In response, she puts a finger to her mouth telling me to be quiet. Then I hear that sound she's talking about. Have you ever experienced an earthquake? When everything in the house is shaking? It sounds just like that, but louder and the things that are shaking are all of the rocks around us. It all clicks now. The Gamemakers and audience are bored, and they want one of us to die. I'll tell you that it sure as hell won't be me.

'Run back to camp!" Without hesitation, everyone breaks into a run at full speed. The rocks we run by start to tumble after us. "Faster!" I exclaim, but not too loud. I don't want to start an avalanche.

Marina, Vinera, and Evan are in front of me and Sebastian is right beside me. Gary is behind us. "Pick up your pace, Gary!" I tell him over my shoulder.

The tree that we spotted the Mockingjay family in comes into view. We keep running and running with the rocks still close on our tail. I no longer hear Gary's footsteps and I look back to see what's wrong. He has tripped and not only is he on the ground, but there is cut on his right leg. His pants are ripped and it reveals a nasty, deep cut with blood trickling down. He holds his hand out, his eyes pleading with me to come and help him. I continue running when a boulder squashes Gary, his blood squirting everywhere. The last thing I hear from him is his pain filled scream.

I catch up with the others who haven't noticed my short absence. We keep running even though the sound of rolling rocks dies down. We finally reach our cave and hurriedly scurry inside. I peek out and find that the rocks have stopped. It's over.

"Where's Gary?" asks Vinera.

"Dead." I reply, panting heavily.

"Give me the bird. I'll start cooking." Vinera puts her hand out. I look down and detach the dead Mockingjay from my belt and put it in her hand.

No one seems to be affected by Gary's death. Not even Marina. I have to admit that he was a good ally, but in order for me to win he had to die.

Evan restarts the fire that we had put out before we left and the others sit down to catch their breath. I sit down too and take my pack and sheath off. One ally is down, who will be next? I wonder if the next ally will die from another Gamemaker trap or for another ally, including myself.

17 down, 6 more to go.

* * *

**The Fallen:**

**District 3: Electra and Bolton**

**District 5: Augustina**

**District 6: Latteine and Nick**

**District 7: Sequoia and Tanner**

**District 8: Amber and Derek**

**District 9: Terraine and Gary**

**District 10: Bonnie and Timothy**

**District 11: Maggie and Feltrix**

**District 12: Calvin**

**The Remaining Tributes:**

**District 1: Amethine and Evan**

**District 2: Vinera and Caiden**

**District 4: Marina and Sebastian**

**District 5: Marcus**

**District 12: Mina**

* * *

**Gary has been added to the dead tributes list. What do you guys think? I have a question for all of you reading. It's okay if you're a guest reader, just listen and leave a review with what you think. Should there be another career death in the next chapter? Or do you want the careers to either find Mina or Marcus?**

**I hope you guys liked the chapter. I seriously feel bad for not updating for a long time guy, so I'm sorry! Thanks for reading. And if you want, check out my Clato one-shot _Yours Truly, Cato. _It's a High School AU. Please review (: I have two other one-shot ideas in mind, for more info visit my profile.**

**Have a great day/night (:**


	29. Family Interviews: Part One

**Here's you New Years gift! I am very, very, very sorry for not updating for a long time. A big thank you to Squintz!**

** I know you want to start reading so I'll make this A/N short, but make sure you read the one at the end of this chapter!**

* * *

"Caesar, you're on." Sylvia, one of the stage hands, informs the famous Caesar Flickerman.

"Thank you Sylvia, I'll be out shortly." Caesar smiled. Sylvia nodded and backed out of the room before closing the door.

Caesar stood up and smoothed out a few of the wrinkles on his glittering lime green suit. He walked out of his lavish dressing room and past the bustling stage hands, talking into their mic attached to a headpiece about the lighting, taking care of the families who are waiting in their lounge, and the temperature of the entire building.

Caesar walked down the hallway just as he heard the voice announce, "And here's your host, Caesar Flickerman!" Caesar steps on stage to meet the screams of every Capitol citizen present for the interviews of the tributes' loved ones.

"How's everyone doing tonight?" He asks the crowd to get them fired up. The crowd screams and expresses their excitement in high-pitched cheers.

"In every Hunger Games, when it is down to the final eight tributes-" Caesar stops to listen to the voice on the other side of his earpiece.

"Or, make that final _seven._Gary from District Nine has just died." Caesar updates everyone. Some let out a bunch of 'awww's. Apparently Gary had earned himself some sponsors. They were betting on him and figured that since he was with the careers and was skilled at a weapon, he'd make it. They were wrong. Gary is dead just like the others and will be shipped home to his family…Or wait, his family is here in the Capitol, waiting to be interviewed.

"Whenever it comes down to this, we interview the families of the tributes. Are you all excited for that?" Caesar asks.

They didn't disappoint him with their stomping and cheers of agreement. While the audience gets thrilled with what's going to happen, Caesar gets enthused with their screams of excitement.

"Now we will start with District One-Amethine Gemmis's family! Up first, we will interview her mother!" Caesar gestures to backstage opposite of him and out walks Mrs. Gemmis in an elegant, yet simple, purple dress and matching purple heels. Around her neck is a pearl necklace and her hair matches with her whole proper outfit. Half of her hair is clipped, leaving half of her shoulder length blonde, wavy hair down.

When Mrs. Gemmis reaches Caesar, he gently takes her hand like the gentleman he is, and leads her to the two chairs on which they both sit down at the same time. Caesar quickly retracts his hand from Mrs. Gemmis's.

"I don't want Mr. Gemmis to beat me for trying to make a move on his lady." Caesar jokes. The crowd laughs and Mrs. Gemmis joins in.

When the laughter dies down, Caesar begins with his questions. "Now Mrs. Gemmis, your daughter has earned the nickname 'golden goddess' from the costume she wore for the chariot ride. What are your thoughts on that?"

Although Mrs. Gemmis is caring and tender, she is very smart as well and doesn't take too long to answer Caesar's question.

"I thought that Amethine looked wonderful in her costume. My thoughts on that? Well, the name suited her wardrobe, and now that the tribute parade is over, I feel that the name should fade away since she's not wearing the dress anymore."

"That is very true. From watching the games, you see that Amethine is the leader of the Career alliance. What do you have to say about that?" Caesar inquires.

"Amethine is a great leader, and I know that she's good doing a good job at working with and leading her fellow allies." She smiles confidently, but under that smile was fear.

Susan had confidence in her daughter, but anything can happen in the Hunger Games. Just like that night when that lunatic from District Nine nearly killed her daughter and chanted an inexplicable phrase. Susan remembered dreading the worse outcome, but Amethine managed to kill her attacker. Susan had let out a sigh of relief when that happened, but was still affected when Amethine did not hesitate to finish her off. The words of what she said to her daughter in the Justice Building replayed in her head. _Promise me that when you win, you come back the way you were._ It wasn't peculiar for a mother, regardless a mother of a career or non-career, to be scared for their child's life. It was motherly instinct.

"She is a great leader, isn't she? If Amethine was watching this right now, what would you like to say to her?"

Susan doubts that Amethine would be able to watch this in the Arena, for it has never happened in the history of the games that have passed. But, it was that key word Caesar had given her-_if._It won't happen, he's just asking what _if_Amethine could see this.

Susan clears her throat to speak and looks directly into a nearby camera. "Amethine, I know you can win. You're doing a very great job so far. You've trained for 12 years, you've got what it takes. I love you and I know you can do it." Saying these words, tears starts to well in Susan's eyes, but she holds them back.

Caesar reaches over and pats her hand reassuringly. "That was very lovely. I'm sure it would mean a lot to Amethine." He says. Then the buzzer goes off.

"Thank you Mrs. Gemmis, we wish the best of luck to your daughter." Caesar stands, and the crowd claps as Amethine's mother walks towards backstage, where her husband was getting ready for his interview.

A stage hand was waiting for Susan, ready to lead her back to the lounge. Susan follows and steps into the room that her children and spouse were waiting and watching the interview from the ten inch flat screen television hanging on the wall.

"You did great, honey." Her husband praises.

She smiles appreciatively. "You'll do better."

"I know." He says jokingly, causing his wife to laugh lightly.

The stage hand that had brought Susan to the lounge not too long ago sticks her head in the room and says: "Mr. Gemmis, you're up."

Susan straightens out her husband's gray suit and gives him a quick kiss on the lips. "You'll be great out there." She says.

"Go dad!" Geode cheers.

"Be nice to Caesar. Don't forget your manners." Says Garnet.

His father messes his hair up playfully and gets scolded by his wife who made it all nice for his interview.

"I won't." he assures. He walks towards the door.

"Don't embarrass me." Amethyst warns just as he gets out of the room.

* * *

Thanks to his handsome features, Mr. Gemmis earns a few wolf whistles from the ladies and believe it or not, some men. He smiles, happy that he might've just earned his daughter some more sponsors. He's getting closer and closer to Caesar, when he notices the Hunger Games host backing up, like he's scared. Then he remembers how Caesar was scared of holding his wife's hand and holds his hand up, displaying his harmlessness. There is an explosion of laughter among everyone in the audience. They're loving it.

Caesar nervously sticks his hand out. "Are we good? You're not mad or anything?"

"It's all good." Mr. Gemmis takes his hand and shakes it. "Just don't try to do that again." He adds jokingly.

Caesar laughs. "I won't. Welcome Mr. Gemmis!" He greets, dropping the scared act. It takes a minute for audience's laughter to end, and when it does, Caesar starts.

"Your daughter Amethine is overall, a wonderful tribute. She has a lot of great traits, but tell us, who is she most like? You or your wife?" He asks.

"To be honest, I think that she took after me. I was like her when I was young, especially in my teenage years." Mr. Gemmis replies.

It was a factual statement. Charles reminisced about his adolescence years as a fiery, determined, and smart boy. With a wife, a family, and businesses to take care of, Charles notices the changes that were made due to growing up. He always thought it was fascinating to watch his children develop everyday, and was proud of them. He was very proud of his oldest daughter, making it far into the games and bragged about her role of being the leader. But, just like his wife, there was always that pit of fear of her not returning her to them alive and well lying at the bottom of his stomach.

"If Amethine wins, there will definitely be a lot of boys after her. What will you do then?" Caesar inquires.

"I don't think I have to worry about that because she doesn't really care about boys." Charles states confidently. He smiles when a memory pushes itself to the front of his mind.

"_Mother always writes down the list of things she needs before she goes shopping. You should've done the same." Fifteen year-old Amethine candidly tells her father._

"_I guess so. You're mother is good at these things." He examines a carton of milk._

"_What do you mean 'these things'?" Amethine asks curiously._

"_Lady stuff. Like cleaning, cooking, and shopping."_

"_Are you saying that's a woman's job?" Amethine crosses her arms over her chest._

"_No. I didn't mean that."_

"_Good." She turns her attention to the many flavored cookies resting upon a shelf to her left. "Mother always buys these kind of cookies for Garnet. They're his favorite." She says as she takes a pack of oatmeal cookies off the shelf._

"_Thank god I brought you along with me." He smiled._

_Amethine smiled back. "Thank god you did, if you didn't then you'd be buying the wrong things." She places the cookies in the cart._

_Her father chuckles. "That's true."_

"_I'm going to get the eggs, they're near the fruits section. I'll be right back." She walks past her father to get the item._

_Everything in the cart was fetched by his daughter and while she was gone, Charles wanted to pitch in. (After all, he was the one who volunteered to take care of the groceries.) '"What's something Susan loves to eat?" Charles asked himself. After a few minutes of thinking, he finally remembers. "Chocolate covered strawberries! How could I forget?"_

'_All I need to look for is some strawberries and chocolate mixture.' He thought. Didn't Amethine say that the eggs are near the fruits? Charles peered around the aisle and saw Amethine talking to a boy that looked like her age. 'He's probably just a friend.' He assumed right away. He walked over to the fruits, bringing the cart with him. He took two plastic containers full of strawberries and placed them in the cart. He was within earshot of his daughter and the boy and listened in on their conversation. Amethine's back was facing him, and he couldn't see the boy because of a big sign._

"_I said 'leave me alone'" He heard his daughter firmly state._

"_C'mon sweetie. We'd make a perfect couple." The boy said._

"_I'm not interested."_

"_Why not?" He cups her chin. After that sentence, Charles heard some ruckus and turned around and saw that his daughter was holding the boy by his collar and had him pinned to the wall._

"_I said 'leave me alone.'" She repeated. "Am I clear?" She asked._

_The boy was stunned. He must've thought that a pretty blondie like Amethine was harmless. He was dead wrong. Charles couldn't help but smile proudly at this. Susan definitely would've stopped Amethine and scolded her for doing such a thing._

_When the boy gave a nod, she let go of him. "Get out of here."_

_When the boy walked away, Charles quickly pushed the cart back to the cookie aisle so Amethine wouldn't know that he saw everything. When Amethine came back with two carton of eggs, Charles suddenly remembered the strawberries. If Amethine saw them, she'd know that her father witnessed her pinning the boy to the wall._

_It was too late because Amethine asked: "You saw everything?"_

"_Yep." He responded._

"_Good job." He added._

_His daughter smiled._

"Mr. Gemmis?" Caesar repeated for the third time.

Charles blinked a few times, realizing that he was too occupied with that memory that he completely forgot about the interview.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. What were you saying?" Charles asks.

"I was asking you if the whole family will move into Amethine's house in the Victor's Village if she wins." Caesar says.

'If'? Charles thought. 'What does he mean 'if'?' Amethine will definitely win. She's prepared for this. Charles didn't want to make his mind wonder what would happen if she didn't make it.

He didn't want to keep the audience and Caesar waiting too long, and didn't want to seem weak either, so he answers: "We will. The boys are going to enjoy the big space they get to play in, Susan will fall in love with the kitchen, and I'll have a big office to handle all of my-"

"Whoa, whoa. Let's not get too carried away, after all it will be _Amethine's_house." Caesar says jokingly.

Just as Charles was going to respond with something equally funny, the buzzer went off. Caesar gets up and Charles follows suit.

"Let's hear it one more time for Mr. Gemmis, father of District One female tribute-Amethine Gemmis!" Caesar exclaims.

The crowd applauds and Mr. Gemmis leaves the stage. Just like his wife, a stage hand ushers him to their lounge.

"I told you you'd do a better job." Susan tells him when he opens the door.

Charles plants a soft kiss on her cheek. "It doesn't matter. We both did a good job."

Amethyst pretends to gag loudly. "There are children in the room." She says.

The stage hand's head appears again, this time for the twins. "The little boys are next." She tells the Gemmis family.

Susan gives both of them an encouraging kiss on the forehead. "You two will be amazing out there." She assures.

This is directed to Garnet, who is more nervous than his brother.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

Garnet is the shy one, and being in front of thousands of faces is scaring him.

"We will. We'll do a better job than mommy and daddy." Geode reassures his fraternal twin brother.

Their parents and sister laugh at his cockiness.

"Don't get too confident." His father says playfully.

The stage hand takes the boys to the front of backstage. She stops and tells them to go to Caesar. Although she points and says 'Just go to Caesar' Garnet is uneasy, and the sight of the huge sea of people doesn't help at all.

"Come on, Garnet. We're going to do better than mommy and daddy, remember?" Says Geode.

He takes his scared brother and leads him to Caesar. The audience claps and falls in love with their cuteness. Since you can already tell the difference through hair color, their mother had them wear the same thing- a teal and red, long sleeve button-up plaid shirt that is tucked in, and khakis. Their hair contained no styling cream, it was just combed neatly.

"Look at Amethine's adorable little brothers!" Caesar says, also loving how cute they look.

Two chairs weren't needed for the twins because of their size. They both could fit on the already big plush chair, and the sight of it makes the audience fall more head over heels for their innocence.

"What do you like about the Capitol?" Caesar starts.

Garnet makes it obvious that he doesn't want to do the talking, so Geode answers. "The food, the chairs, the smell, the TVs-"

"This might take a while." Caesar interrupts. The audience laughs at his comment.

"My mom said it's rude to talk when someone else is speaking." Garnet says.

"I'm sorry." Caesar apologizes. He lowers his head dejectedly. "Will you ever forgive me?" He asks.

Garnet laughs. "Yeah."

"Good." Caesar picks his head up and flashes a toothy smile. The audience is chuckling over the three's humor.

"Okay boys, how do you feel about your sister not being here?"

"It's a little sad because she's not with us, but when she comes back she's going to bring back presents." Says Geode.

"What about you?" Caesar asks Garnet.

"I also think that." He agrees with his brother.

"Plenty of presents, indeed. Now boys, Amethine trained for the games and your other older sister is training too, correct?" he asks to make sure he's right. The boys nod.

"Will you two follow in your sisters' footsteps and train when you guys are older?"

Susan and Charles leaned forward, waiting for their answer. The question of when the twins will start training has came up before and Susan and Charles said that they had to wait their turn. Two of her children were already preparing for the games and Susan didn't know how to handle watching _all_of them training. When Amethine turned six, she begged to be enrolled in the training center. She wanted to train so bad that she even refused to talk to Susan for a week when she first told her no. Susan had even gotten her husband to try and talk to Amethine and get her to change her mind, but Amethine stood her ground.

Seeing that she's sure about this, and knowing all the things that their daughter would do to, Charles listened and convinced his wife. The main thing on the bright side was that if she got reaped, she'd be ready. That's all Susan thought about. She didn't know that training will shape her into a sadistic killer, who would do anything for a spot in the Hunger Games. Amethine trained and trained, and watching all of this was six year old Amethyst. Amethyst saw all the fun her big sister was having and wanted to join in. When she first asked, Susan and Charles immediately said no. It was hard for Susan to let Amethine train and she told herself that the same thing will not happen with Amethyst. She was wrong. Susan and Charles both thought that saying no to Amethyst will be very different than with Amethine and they were right, but Amethine stepped in and helped her sister persuade their parents. Amethine told Amethyst to do the same thing she did when she was her age. Beg and ignore them until they say yes. Amethyst did this and it worked. She even went higher up a notch and refused to eat supper! But in the end it was worth it, because Amethyst got to train with her big sister and join in on the fun.

"Mommy and daddy said that we have to wait our turn." Geode states.

"And when it is your turn, you'll both discover your talents." Caesar says kindly.

"Yeah, we're going to be stronger than Amethyst and Amethine." Geode agrees. The audience laughs.

"Whatever." Amethyst keeps her eyes on the high-quality screen, doubting that her little brothers will surpass her in strength and skills.

The buzzer goes off. "Okay, boys. That's all the times we have for ya'," Caesar rises from his chair.

He helps the twins out of the chairs and gives them high-fives before they walk off the stage and to their lounge.

"Good job, you two!" their mother hugs them.

"Amethyst, you're next." Garnet says.

"I know. Watch and learn boys, watch and learn." She saunters out of the room.

Amethyst still has time to push her hair out of her face and make sure her dress isn't messy- speaking of her dress, it's crimson, sparkly dress that stops at her knees and goes straight down without any volume. The plunging neckline doesn't go too low, thanks to her mother, and her hair cascades down her back in flawless curls. Amethyst wants to help win Amethine some sponsors, and sought this opportunity to practice for her interview when she enters the games. With all the attention being on her even if just for a few minutes and helping her sister, this is a win-win situation for Amethyst.

"Last, but not least of the Gemmis family is Amethine Gemmis's sister- Amethyst!" Caesar introduces.

Just like her father, wolf whistles fill the air, all coming from men. Most of the women whisper 'slut' and other mean things, already judging her. Amethyst confidently struts towards the host and he takes her right hand and guides her to her chair.

"You look amazing!" He acclaims her attire.

"Thank you."

"Okay, let's get started. Although your sister has trained longer than you, do you think that you're stronger than her?" Caesar asks.

The audience waits for her answer, loving the idea of sibling rivalry. Amethyst keeps the look of confidence on, not showing any hints of being scared of Amethine's skills.

"No, because she has more experience. But, I'd like to test my answer out. Maybe challenge her to a duel when she comes back."

"That would be interesting to watch. Do you plan on competing in the Hunger Games?" Caesar questions.

"Yes, I do. When I'm eighteen, I'm going to volunteer."

"Do you think you have what it takes to win?"

"That question doesn't have to be asked. I don't _think,_I _know_."Amethyst says confidently.

"I love the confidence! Your sister was very confident in her interview, and I can see the resemblance."

Amethyst never thought that she and Amethine looked alike. Nothing seemed the same in appearance between the two. Whenever someone points it out, Amethyst would say, "I don't see it." She was never with Amethine when people mentioned this, and wondered what her sister's response was when she was told this.

"Some people think that, but I just don't agree. I don't see it."

"Need a mirror?" Caesar asks. The audience giggles, knowing that that's not what Amethyst means.

"Is that sarcasm, Caesar?"

"No, not at all." He says defensively.

Amethyst has just proven that the pretty face doesn't mean that she won't back out of a fight or hesitate to kill. Haven't people hard the saying: 'Don't judge a book by its cover'? Amethyst was sure that the same thing is happening to Amethine and her sister was doing a good job at proving them wrong.

"Better not be."

"It was nice having you, Amethyst." Caesar says after he hears the buzzer.

Amethyst gives Caesar's hand one last shake before walking away.

* * *

"Why were you mean to Caesar?" Garnet asks Amethyst when she arrives at the lounge.

"I was just kidding."

"Why do you need to kid?" He asks out of pure curiosity.

"To help Amethine win." Amethyst replies.

Satisfied with that answer, Garnet stops with the questions and goes to sit on the couch. The whole family joins him, relaxing now that their done and can watch everyone else's interview.

Susan holds onto her husband's hand, fully aware that the interviews of the tributes from the non-career district will be full of tears, most of them coming from the mothers, if the tribute even has an alive mother. Being a mother herself, Susan empathizes their tears and fears of their child not coming home.

* * *

**Have you ever wondered what the characters in this story look like? Well, I have too and I've started searching up people that best portray them. So far I've found someone to portray Amethyst and the link to her picture is on my profile. For Amethine, I'm still deciding between two people. **

**Thanks for reading! I can't stop apologizing for the long wait. I'm sorry and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter (:**


	30. A Visit From An Unwanted Visitor

**Thank you to the readers who gave me awesome feedback on the last chapter! Are the rest of my lovely readers out there? Hope you're still not mad about the slow updates. Big thanks to Squintz again for editing this (: **

**CupcakeKnight: Thank you! (:**

* * *

I bet my family is in the Capitol, getting interviewed by Caesar Flickerman. Since they are only two chairs on the stage, they're getting interviewed individually. Gary's family won't be there because he died, and Caesar will be interviewing the families of the _living _tributes. I start to imagine what each of my family members will do for their interview.

My mother would dress up in something formal, she must be wearing one of her best dresses that are only worn on very special occasions, and my father would wear his gray, intimidating suit along with black, shiny business shoes. Amethyst either got something sexy from her closet or asked our mother to make her something. And Garnet and Geode must be wearing the same thing to look cute. The Capitol will love them both. How about Reina and Shine? I hear that the friends of the tribute will get interviewed, too. They'll most likely be there since they're both friends of Evan and I.

"Amethine," I look up from the blazing fire and at the bowl in front of my face that is held by one of Evan's hands.

I take the bowl. "Thanks."

"Welcome." He sits next to me and looks at the fire, just like I did a minute ago.

"They're getting interviewed. My mom, dad, Amethyst, the twins, maybe Shine and Reina." I say.

"Wonder how it's going." He looks down at his food and moves it around with his spoon.

I look at the boy who has been my good friend of five years. He's not supposed to be here, with me in an arena competing in a death match that only allows _one_ person to win. Then, the next question finds its way into my mind: When he volunteered, did he know that he had to kill me in order to win? Like I said, this wasn't supposed to happen. He would've been at home with his girlfriend, preparing for the next Hunger Games. Why? Why did he have to volunteer? He could've waited.

"Why?" The words involuntarily escape my lips.

Fortunately, I didn't say loud enough for the others, who are joking around and laughing right now, to hear.

"Why did you volunteer? Don't give me that 'I want to win' excuse because we both know that you could've waited until-"

"My family's on the verge of being broke." He cuts me off.

I look at him and blink a few times. "What?" I ask.

"My family is going to lose everything. I needed to step in and do something." He looks at the ground.

The thought of Evan hiding the real motive for wanting to win the games entered my mind from time to time. I always had a feeling that things weren't always what he said it was.

"Remember that accident my father got into?" He asks. I nod. Evan's father worked as a loader back home.

A loader was someone who drove store items that were shipped from other districts to department stores and discharge them from the truck. Evan's father worked as a loader for the best businesses in district one, making his family wealthy just like mine. One rainy day, Evan's father was assigned to deliver crates full of food for a restaurant in the Belle section. When his father opened the truck to start unloading them, the crates toppled over and nearly crushed him to death. Evan always said that the crates must've been stacked wrong and he believes that if they were arranged properly, the accident would've never happened. Luckily, his father didn't die, but he didn't walk away unscathed either.

The accident gave him a broken back and a few broken ribs. Surgery helped, but his spinal cord was still crooked leaving him unable to stand up straight or walk. He always stayed in bed, leaving only to use the restroom, and even that took a lot of effort. He never left his home, although he could've. Evan's mother saved up and combined the savings with her husband's last paycheck to buy a scooter, but he never used it. With his father in bed unable to work his mother became the main source of income for the household. The accident occurred two years ago, when I was sixteen and Evan was fifteen. I knew that it was hard on Evan, but he never spoke about it.

For Evan to divulge all of this, not only to me but to everyone watching the games, I have many mixed emotions. A blend of pity, shame, and anger are blended up inside of me. This reminds me of the reaping day when Evan volunteered and I was feeling so many things that I was not sure how to feel. I understand that you'll do anything to help your family out, and there are so many options in district one.

"There are so many other things that you could've done to help out." I express my thoughts.

His facial expression starts to shift to… Anger?

"Wow, Amethine. I tell you the main reason I want to fucking win, and that's all you say! You're an amazing fucking friend!" His voice rises, catching the attention of my other allies.

He storms out of the cave, past the looks of confusion on the others' face.

"What the hell?" Vinera says, confused. "What was that about?" She asks me.

My eyes are still focused on the blank darkness of outside. The darkness of the night that Evan has exited this cave to enter.

"He'll cool down. Just give him a few minutes." I say, going back to my food.

* * *

Everyone is asleep. I volunteered on keeping watch to wait for Evan. He's been gone for an hour and I have no clue as to where he is and what he's doing. He didn't take any weapons with him when he walked out, leaving him defenseless against the mutts out there. I'm sitting on the ground of the cave, a few feet away from the mouth. He didn't even bring a flashlight, how can he see? This thought makes causes my body to rise, grab my pack and sheath. I need to look for Evan.

I pull a flashlight out, turn it on and jog out of the cave. Something knocks me down just as I set foot on the ground outside of the cave. My spears fly out of the sheath and scatter onto the ground. Due to not being able to see what or who knocked me down, I pull a knife out of my belt and get into a fighting position.

I put my knife back when I see who it is.

"Where did you go with no flashlight and weapon?" I ask Evan.

"I had a flashlight in my belt." He says. I help him up.

"We need to go-"he starts to say, but a hiss cuts him off.

I look around and Evan starts to shove me into the cave. "What was that?" I ask.

"Just go inside. I didn't know it would follow me." He says.

"What's 'it'? A mutt?" I question. Slowly slipping the strap of my pack off my shoulder, I set it on the ground.

He nods. "Shhh." He puts a finger to his lips.

I listen and shut my mouth. Turning my head to the sleeping tributes, I hope they don't make a sound. The mutt silently crawls by the cave, its tail slowly moving around. It's the same mutt we encountered the night we went inside the barn. Looking up, it starts to sniff the air, trying to place our scent. Fuck this, we should just kill it now. It's not hard to kill. Just stab in the head, chest, or neck and it'll drop dead.

Sitting in here doing nothing isn't going to help anything. This won't be the last mutt we'll see in the arena, but we should kill it now and decrease the chances of it coming back. Plus, I hate feeling scared. Fear makes you weak, and I'm not weak.

"I'm going to kill it." I whisper to Evan.

"What? No, just stay here and wait for it to leave." He disagrees.

Slipping the knife back out, I get up and keep my footsteps as silent as possible. It will definitely catch my scent the minute I'm four feet away, but I don't want to charge at it head on and have it throw me against a boulder. It sniffs the air a couple more times, then twists its head in my direction. Tipping its head from side to side, I look at the pair of yellow eyes. Looking into them reminds me of looking into the fire even, though the colors between the two differ. I can see the features of its face since the fire in the cave is not too far from the mouth.

It strikes and I duck, stabbing it's abdomen in the process. It screeches, but doesn't fall. What the hell? It should be on the ground, injured. Seeing my moment of confusion as an opportunity, the lizard-like mutt hits me on the right side of my face, the force of its powerful scaly hand sends me flying five feet into the cave. I land next to Vinera's body; my back muscles and shoulders are aching since the mid-section of my body slammed into the ground first. Rolling over, I see Evan trying to defeat the mutt with no success. Waking the others should be done, but I don't need their help. I can handle this on my own.

I want to get up and assist my district partner, but when I try to my shoulders and back complain. The creature is standing on its two feet and has a hand around Evan's neck and starts to squeeze. Evan lifts his sword with his right hand, but the mutt smacks it away with its free hand. Placing both of my palms flat on the ground, I push myself up. My shoulders ache even more and I try my best to ignore the pain, but I can't. My head and shoulders rise and now it's my back's turn to let me know that it doesn't want to move. I force it up and slowly rise to my feet. Evan starts gasp for air, fighting to stay conscious and alive. Seeing that it's distracted, I run over to help. Being stealthy isn't an option because Evan will lose time. My back and shoulders hurt with each step, but I keep going.

It sees me coming and drops Evan, it turns to me and raises its claws. I immediately think _duck_ and that's what I do, but the creature waits for me to stand back up to strike a second time. The minute its claws leave my skin, it starts to sting. Falling to ground, I clutch my face and scream in pain. The screaming doesn't stop and fortunately it's loud enough to wake Caiden up.

"What the-" I hear him start tiredly, but when he stops I know he sees what's happening.

Caiden puts a hand on my back and says something that I can't hear over my own screams. He runs back to wake the others and a few minutes later, Vinera and Marina are panicking and rummaging through first aid kits, and Caiden is helping Evan fight the mutt.

My screaming stops when Vinera spreads some anesthetic gel over the four deep lines on my left cheek. The scratches are so deep that it tore through the small bandages that I got from Terraine's nails. I hear Evan and Caiden swear under their breath as they dodge the mutt's attacks. Wanting to kill it for giving me the scratch, I start to stand, but Marina and Vinera hold me down.

"Let go of me." I try and pull my hand free, but they got both of their hands on mine, and their strength combined is no match for me.

"I need to help them." I insist.

"You just stay here, we'll help them." Vinera lets go of my hand and Marian does the same right after.

They both get their weapons and start charging at the mutt. This mutt must've had its strength enhanced. It's much stronger and looks bigger than the one we killed in the barn. I watch the battle from the ground, feeling helpless. I hate feeling helpless.

Not wanting to just sit here like a baby, I get up and look around the cave for anything that can help. My spears are scattered on the ground, behind the mutt so I can't get them without being noticed. Being noticed… that's it! I can distract the mutt and give the others time to put it down. But what should I do to distract it? Looking at the utensil bag, my question has been answered. I pull a frying pan and pot out and start banging them together.

"Hey! Look over here, you son of a bitch!" I yell. The mutt averts its attention from my allies and looks at me.

It tips its head from side to side like earlier and starts to crawl towards me on all fours.

Understanding what I'm doing, they slowly trail behind the mutt and when he gets close enough, Evan thrusts his sword in the mutt's back. The mutt screeches and turns to Evan. It shouldn't have because Vinera swings her axe and takes its head off. The head rolls over a few feet and stops. The rest of its body collapses.

This won't be the last mutt we'll see, but one thing's certain: We need to get out of this section of the arena.

* * *

**I have updated the list on my profile. If you don't know, I have decided to search for actresses to portray the characters in this story, to give you an idea of what they look like. The list has been updated, you should check it out. Thanks for reading! Have a nice day or evening (:**


	31. Family Interviews: Part Two

**I know, it's been so long since the last update, but the reason is that it took a lot of time to put this whole chapter together. This is the longest chapter I've ever written! There are 12,535 words in here not including the author's notes. While writing this chapter, life got in the way and that's part of the reason for the wait. I hope my lovely readers are still out there! Thank you all for patiently waiting.**

**Amanda: It's nice to hear from you again! The reason for her getting injured a lot is to prove that she is not a Mary Sue, which is what some readers tell me. Thanks for telling me what you think! It's nice to hear from you again.**

* * *

"Up next, we have district one male tribute, Evan Fortis's mother- Linda Fortis!" Caesar exclaims.

With her son in the games and a husband who can't stand or walk on his own, these past days have been hard on Linda. She'd spend money on having someone watch her husband while she was away at work and when she'd come back from a tiring day of being a cashier at a department store she had to take care of her husband. Smiling wasn't a problem for Linda, it's just that she didn't know what to smile for with everything happening. She's given her husband reassuring smiles every time they watch their son on the screen, fighting for his life and he'd smile back because they both knew that he had to come home. Though neither of them said it, they knew that if he died they'd be nothing but a couple of broken souls, grieving for him for their entire life.

"How are you, Mrs. Fortis?" Caesar asks when they both take a seat.

"I'm doing okay." Lies. This was a plain lie.

"That's good to hear. What do you have to say about the events taking place in the games?" Caesar asks.

There was so much to say. That girl from district nine who tried to kill Amethine, the boulder avalanche that crushed the only non-career in the alliance to death, and that ugly mutt that the children had killed when they went inside the barn. Linda thinks about her son and how he can handle all of this; This madness, this bloodshed, this death match. _What I have to say about the events taking place in the games? I think that it is all chaos. I think that all of this is chaos. The Hunger Games, my son being a tribute, everything _She thinks to herself. Linda was well aware that if these words were to come out of her mouth, President Snow will order the death of her son and her husband. A slow and very painful death.

"Some of them were sad, and some were very scary." Linda says truthfully.

_Please don't ask me to specify which events I'm talking about, _she begs Caesar in her mind.

"You forgot to add: action-packed," Caesar reminds in a light tone.

"Yes, that too." Linda forces a smile, but softens it to make it seem genuine. _There was plenty of action. The action being children murdering other children, _she thinks to herself. At least she can say what she wants in her mind, it was a safe place to say things that can get you killed if said aloud.

"What was your reaction when you saw your son's chariot costume? " Caesar proceeds with the next question.

_This question is easy. _"He looked so handsome and I was happy that he remembered to keep his back straight." Linda says. She smiles -this time a real one- remembering the night district one's chariot rolled out, both tributes wearing gold attire. The laughter she and Bernard shared when he said, "I was more handsome when I was his age." rang in her brain.

"Do you guys agree?" Caesar asks the audience for their opinion. Majority whooped and whistled, screaming in assent.

"How do you feel about Evan dating?" Caesar inquires when it's quiet again.

"My husband and I allow Evan to date and whenever he goes to his girlfriend's home, we'd remind him to respect and abide the rules of her parents,"

"Do you have rules in your home when Evan brings his gal over?"

"Oh, definitely," Linda doesn't even need to ponder this. "She can't spend the night, she is welcome to come over when I'm home, and the door to his room must be left open at all times."

"Those rules don't seem too harsh. Have you met any of Evan's girlfriends?"

"I've met every one,"

The buzzer goes off before Caesar can reply. He gets out of his seat and Linda does the same.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fortis." He shakes her hand. The crowd claps as she walks towards backstage.

. . .

"Are you sure you don't want me to follow?" Linda asks her husband one more time. He knows how to operate the scooter, but she's anxious as to how he'll do in his interview. Ever since the accident, he stayed in the house all day long and Linda would force him to go out in his scooter occasionally.

"I may not be able to walk and stand, but I'm perfectly capable of speaking, Linda. Don't worry." Reggie assures her.

She smiles. "I know, but do you need me to follow you out?" she offers.

"No, the stage hand will lead me there. You just stay right here and watch." He reaches over and pats her hand.

The stage hand takes Reggie to the stage and has him wait for Caesar's cue. Linda would have a hard time trying to get Reggie to take his scooter outside for a while, but when he finally gives in, the process of helping him out of bed and onto the scooter wasn't easy for Linda. Reggie could've just stayed home and watched everything, but he came for two reasons: He didn't want his wife to come alone and for Evan. He didn't want anyone to think that Evan didn't have a family beside him.

"Let's give a big round of applause for Evan's father, Mr. Fortis!" Caesar exclaims.

The crowd claps as Reggie rides onto the stage and over to Caesar. He uses one hand to wave at the audience and the other one on the scooter's control panel. Caesar pushes the other chair back to give Reggie room for his scooter, and so it'll look no different than interviewing a person not on a scooter.

"I must say, Mr. Fortis that your entrance was not like any other. Literally!" says Caesar. Chuckles rings through air, coming from those who understand.

"Thank you. I wouldn't be walking on stage with this scooter if it weren't for that accident." Reggie scowls, recollecting that moment.

"Would you like to share what happened?" Caesar asks.

Every family received a letter from the Capitol. It stated that they must be present for their interview and everyone knew that not making an appearance would seem like an act of rebelliousness to the President, and that's the last thing they needed. The day Linda opened the soft, scented envelope she knew that she and Reggie had to go despite his injury.

"I was at work, taking some crates out of my truck, and then some tipped over and fell on top of me." Reggie kept it short and simple.

"That's terrible. But you being here with us tonight is not. Why don't we clap for Mr. Fortis for coming out here tonight even though it wasn't easy!"

The crowd claps, giving Reggie credit. With everyone in the audience giving a round of applause just for him, Reggie couldn't help but smile. At first he wasn't excited to go to the Capitol, aware of the pain that he will have to endured, but now everything was different.

"One question we had asked you wife was about Evan dating. She told me about the rules that Evan needs to follow whenever he bring his girlfriend home and I, as well as everyone in here, would like to know if you're as serious as your wife is when it comes to dating."

"I agree with the rules that my wife's dating rules and yes, I'm serious about Evan dating. How can you teach your child to follow the rules when you, a parent, aren't even serious about it?" Reggie says.

"That is very true. Switching to another subject, what do you have to say about this year's career alliance?"

"Everyone in the alliance this year is strong. There's pretty much no difference between this year's alliances and the ones in the previous games." Reggie replies.

"Strength is something I've always seen in the careers. In fact, I even think they were born with it!" Caesar exclaims. The audience laughs as Caesar smoothes his hair down and sits up straight, going from a silly guy to an etiquette host . Reggie sits back and grins.

"If you could take one thing from here to remind of the Capitol, what would it be?" Caesar inquires.

"Like a souvenir?"

"Yes, like a souvenir."

"I think I'd take a small sculpture. The art here must be really elaborate and colorful, judging by the attire." Reggie answers. The sound of the buzzer is heard after he says this.

"Thank you Mr. Fortis and May the odds be ever in your son's favor." Caesar tells Reggie before he rides in the direction of his lounge.

"That was amazing! You did great." Linda greets happily when her husband enters.

Reggie parks his scooter next to the right arm of the couch. Linda hooks a hand under his armpit and the other on his torso.

"1, 2…3." She counts before getting her husband off of his scooter. She took small steps, being careful to not bump into anything that can send them both falling. Reggie tried his best to not give into the pain, knowing that his wife was facing a much bigger problem due to his weight. Both let out a breath once they're on the couch. Reggie is glad that his interview is over, and the thing that's on Linda's mind is watching the games to see if Amethine was staying true to her promise about not turning her back on her son.

* * *

"We have a couple of more people to interview and the two of them are affiliated with _both _tributes of district one. Let's bring one of them our right now! Please welcome a good friend of Amethine and Evan-Shine Merionette!" Caesar says enthusiastically.

Shine walks out in an aqua, asymmetrical dress with sparkly silver heels that match the sparkles on the strap and waist. Except for her bangs, the rest of her hair was left down, making the tips of her straight, blonde hair touch her butt. Some trainees and a few trainers in district one thought that Amethine and Shine were sisters due to the similarities of their face and hair and the girls would sometimes use it as an advantage to trick people. Unlike Amethine, Shine loves wearing dresses and sparkly things that catch everyone's eyes. Once the invitation from the Capitol was read, she darted to her closet and picked out the cutest dress she could find.

"Hello Shine!" Caesar greets.

"Hi Caesar!" she chirps.

"Why don't we sit down and get this interview started?" Caesar states.

"Sounds good." Shine settles into the chair.

"How long have you known Amethine?"

"I've known Amethine ever since we were little girls. We were probably six or seven years old when we met so we've know each other for twelve years." Shine retorts.

"Twelve years is long. If Amethine won, how would you feel being friends with a victor?"

"I think it'd be great. I've seen the houses in the Victor's Village and I know that the inside looks just as good as the outside. I hope she asks me to move in with her." Shine says.

Shine has heard the stories of victors not being the same person after winning the games. Axin is an example of those stories; currently a heavy drinker who thinks that just because he's drunk doesn't mean that he's had enough wine. Shine hopes that her friend won't turn out like that, or something worse. If she did, Shine promised herself that she'd do anything to help.

"Let's hope she does ask, but what happens if she doesn't?" Caesar questions.

"First, I'd convince her to give me a copy of the key, and then I'm going to move my things in the middle of the night." This sounds crazy, but the audience loves her sense of humor.

"I hope that works out for you. What do you, Evan, and Amethine have in common?"

"Evan and I both like coffee. Before training, I'd buy a cup for the two of us and he'd do the same. To us, training plus coffee equals an energetic and fun day. Amethine and I both like hand to hand combat. How is taking someone down and winning not fun?" Shine says.

The buzzer goes off and Caesar says, "Let's give it up one more time for Shine Merionette, good friend of Amethine Gemmis and Evan Fortis!"

**Gemmis family**

"Wonder where she got her dress," says Amethyst, a hint of jealousy in her voice. She watches Shine walk off the stage and reminds herself to ask her where she got her outfit later.

"Your dress is beautiful, too" Susan says, able to detect Amethyst's jealousy.

"I know my dress is beautiful." Amethyst denies being jealous.

_I'm sure she'll ask me to take her shopping when we get home._ Susan thinks to herself.

* * *

Shine couldn't wait to get back to the lounge she shared with Reina. Everything in the Capitol was much better than district one. The food, the technology, and so many more that would take hours for Shine to finish listing.

"Are you nervous?" she asks Reina, who is checking herself in the mirror again.

"Very."

"Relax. Your interview will go bad if the audience can see how nervous you are." Shine pops a chocolate-covered nut in her mouth.

"Do I look good?" Reina poses.

"Yep. Your dress is so cute. It's like all you need are the color red and some sparkles to say 'look at me'." Shine replies.

"Thanks. Are you sure this is not too much red?" she gestures to her red sequin top dress with a floaty pleated chiffon skirt.

Shine shakes her head. "Nah. You can't have too much red."

"Thanks."

When the stage hand comes and informs her that she should start walking out, Reina's heart starts to beat wildly. Being the girlfriend of a tribute and a good friend of another, Reina felt that the pressure was on her. She wants to win sponsors for Amethine and Evan, hence the dazzling dress. Her red hair was twisted in a bun that sat on top of her head, accentuating her dress and her lips were covered in crimson colored lipstick. Red hair, red lips, red dress, and let's not forget- red pumps.

"My, you are the girl in the red!" Caesar exclaims when he sees Reina. They sit down and Caesar starts the interview.

"How did you meet Amethine and Evan?"

"Evan and I were classmates in our fourth and fifth year in school. I heard he had a crush on me and we started dating in our sixth year. When Amethine and I first met, we hated each other. I was learning how to throw a knife and it almost hit her on accident, but she claimed that I did it on purpose. We became friends when she stood up for me to a group of girls that made fun of my terrible knife throwing skills. I don't know why she did it, but I'm glad she did."

"And that's how a friendship blossomed. Now how long have you been dating Evan?"

"Five years." Reina smiles proudly.

"Wow, that's very long. When we interviewed Evan's mother, she told us about the rules you both have to follow. How do you feel about these rules?"

"I totally respect the rules that his mother made. That's _her _sonafter all and I respect her and her rules." Reina says.

"You are a very respectful young lady! I'm sure Mrs. Fortis approves of you dating her son. You know if Evan is crowned winner of the games you'll be the girlfriend of a victor. How does that sound?"

_If Evan wins, that means that Amethine has to die. Why can't the both the both of them come back to district one? _Reina conceals her thoughts with a smile. _Don't think about that and answer the question. _

"That sounds great. My job will be reminding the girls chasing after my man that he's _mine_." Reina says in a warning tone. Despite the tone, the audience finds her over protectiveness of her boyfriend cute.

"It won't be wise for anyone to do that." Caesar says right before the buzzer goes off.

**Fortis family**

"Her dress is beautiful," Linda says, watching the shiny sequins on her son's girlfriend sparkle under the bright stage lights.

"She's meant to be with Evan." Reggie states.

"Yes, she is."

"_Promise you won't be mean?" Evan asked._

"_I promise. Haven't I always been nice when meeting your girlfriends?" Linda asked innocently._

"_Remember Diamond Dezzerne? You disapproved of her right when you saw her walk in with a short skirt," Evan reminds his mother._

"_The girl didn't look like a virgin," Linda points out._

"_Mom! Can we not talk about that? I'm going to bring her in now." Evan leaves to get his new girlfriend._

"_What do you think Reggie? Slut, bookworm, or jokester?" _

"_I think that we should just wait and see." Reggie says calmly._

_Evan walks into the kitchen, hand in hand with a blonde-haired girl. She smiles at Linda and Reggie and they return it. _

"_Mom, dad, this is Reina. Reina, these are my parents." Evan introduces his girlfriend._

"_Hi, it's nice to meet you." She shakes their hands. She doesn't clasps their hands too tight, but gives it a firm shake._

"_Hello," Linda replies._

"_It's a pleasure," Reggie smiles._

_Reggie and Linda sit next to each other, parallel to the young couple. Linda sat across from Reina and Evan his father. Linda was about to ask the first question when she remembered the snacks she had prepared. _

"_I almost forgot!" she got out of her seat and tread towards the oven. She returns to the table with a plate of small, round, chocolate sponge cakes. She places the platter on the table after sitting back in her chair._

"_How did you guys meet?" Reggie asked._

"_School," Reina answered._

"_What kind of grades do you earn in school?" Linda asked._

"_I have an A average. I get the occasional B when I'm too fond of the subject, but it's mostly A's." Evan smiled at her and she smiled back. _

_At least my son's not dating one of those dumb blondes. Like that Diamond girl; not only did she dress inappropriately, but the girl must've failed every subject in school. _Linda thought.

"_Mmm, this is delicious," Reina comments after taking a bite of the snacks Linda had put out._

"_Thank you." Linda smiled appreciatively._

_Evan looked at his girlfriend, then at his mom. His mother loves it when someone compliments her food and after Reina did that, it gave her a good start. _

"_You're welcome. What brand did you use for the mixture?"_

"_Betty Crocker. I always use that." _

"_So does my grandmother! To her the thing is like heaven in a bag!" Reina quotes her grandmother's words._

_That's a bonus. Evan is enjoying how things are going. Maybe they'll start baking together._

_Linda laughed softly. "I agree with her. I don't use any other brand besides Betty Crocker."_

_Reina holds her hand up, offering a high-five. Linda is a little surprise, but pats her against the young girl's. The males at the table watching them are happy and relaxed that the two won't have a problem with each other. Especially Evan. _

**Vinera's mother**

"Are you sure this is fancy enough?" Auriga asks for the fourth time we've been here. She was happy with the dress when I first bought it for her, but after seeing what the district one girl's sister and friends were wearing, she started getting nervous. Taking in the black silky, knee-length dress with silver flowers printed on the skirt, I nod.

"What do you think, dad?" Auriga turns to her father.

"You look fine." Lyndon mutters in his usual gruff voice.

Satisfied, but I know she'll ask again, she plops down on the comfy couch in our room. Caesar has finished interviewing the district one boy's girlfriend and I'm next. The stage hands told us that the first person has to be the mother of the tribute, then the father, and then the order of the siblings doesn't matter. After the siblings are the friends and just like the sibling interviews, the order is of no importance, as long as they're after the siblings of the tributes.

"Ma'am, you're next." The stage hand tells me.

"Go mom." Auriga smiles encouragingly.

I smile back at her and let the stage hand guide me to where I need to be. Bright lights hit my face when I get to the stage. I stop walking for a second and take a look at how big the audience is. Well one thing is for sure, there's a lot of damn Capitol people out here to watch the interviews. I'm not nervous; I'll just be one of out of many interviews. When I'm done these Capitol people will just watch whoever's after.

Walking to Caesar, who always wears colorful and stupid things for each Hunger Games, I just sit myself down on the chair when I reach him. He sits, too and says that my dress looks stunning. What a lie. He's just saying that to be polite. If it's one thing that I don't like, it's dishonest people. You must think that since I don't like people lying to me, I wouldn't lie and be fake with others. You are correct. I disagree with Caesar, the dress I have on isn't what I'd call 'stunning'. It's only a navy and white silk plaid dress with a black silk organza overlay and black and brown silk 3-d floral embroidered front. It took me about a week to sew the flowers onto the dress.

"I wouldn't call it that. To me it's just simple and unique."

"The flowers are what make it appear as a stunning dress. The way that they're not just a simple image makes it pop." Caesar explains why my dress is stunning.

"You're right." He's not. I know I said that I'm not fake, but if I disagree again he'll keep going on and on and the next thing we know, you'll hear the buzzer.

"Okay, so careers are known to volunteer to be in the Hunger Games and being a mother of one, how did you feel when your daughter volunteered?"

"Proud. It something expected of her, in fact it's something expected from all careers."

"Yes, it is. Would you have volunteered to be in the Hunger Games?"

Not to brag or anything, but my body wasn't that bad in my teenage years. My mom said that I had fast metabolism, which is when you don't gain weight even though you eat a lot. Girls envied me for this because while they're trying to eat healthy and exercise daily, I'm just eating what I want without worrying. I don't blame them, though.

"Yeah, I would've. Back then, I had what it took to be victor."

"Coming from district two, I know you're not lying. Do you think that your daughter should've been the leader of the alliance?"

"Yes, I still do. Vinera is pure leader material. Leadership is something that no one can teach you. You need to learn how to lead yourself and Vinera would've made a great leader. With the girl from district one being the leader, she's gotten herself injured and how can you make a person the leader when she can't even watch over herself?"

"She did get a nasty leg injury that rendered her leg immobile. What were some of your reactions from watching the games?" Caesar changes the subject.

"Like I said, I don't think that Amethine girl is a good leader. That and I'm kind of disappointed that the careers haven't found more victims yet."

"Mhmm, and out of everyone in the career alliance, who do you think will be the most challenging for Vinera to take down?"

"Her district partner. Caiden had come over to our house a lot when his mother was my colleague. I think that since Caiden and Vinera know each other for some time, they might know what the other's weakness is and Caiden will definitely use it to his advantage."

"He could. You never know what those careers are thinking." Caesar says. The buzzer rings.

"That's all the questions I've got for you! Can I hear some clapping for the mother of Vinera, district two female tribute?" Caesar asks the audience. They respond with a round of applause as Vinera's mother walks back to her lounge.

**Gemmis Family**

"With that girl from district one being leader, she's been getting herself injured." Susan matches Vinera's mother's smug look and mocks her tone.

Charles chuckles at his wife. "She was being honest, I can tell you that."

"I know. But I know that it's better with Amethine being leader of the alliance." Susan crosses her hands over her chest like a stubborn child.

"I agree with mom. I know she didn't intend to, but that lady just insulted Amethine , dad." Amethyst speaks up.

Charles looks at her. "I know and I understand why you two don't like what she said, but who cares? It doesn't bother me because we _know _that Amethine is doing great. She doesn't see it."

"You're right," Susan agrees.

"Don't get too angry. Besides, your dress is more beautiful." Charles whispers in her ear, making her giggle.

**Vinera's family**

"Make sure you speak up, Lyndon." Lissette reminds.

"That's probably the 100th time you reminded me." He grumbles.

She straightens up his tie before he goes with the stage hand. She couldn't believe that the old suit still fit him. Being a stone cutter didn't really provide much, but at least there was something. Paying for their daughters' training fee wasn't easy and Lissette had to desperate things to keep her daughters in that academy. The saying, _Desperate times call for desperate measures _was very true. They weren't the right things to do, but she only did them for her children. You do crazy things to keep you children happy and the sacrifices you make don't matter. Some may, but in the end when you see that smile on their face you know you did the right thing.

"Our next guest is the father of 61st Annual Hunger Games district two female tribute- Vinera! Come on out!" Caesar calls for Lyndon.

_Did they really have to make the volume so dam high? I'm not deaf. Bet there's more than ten speakers posted all over the place. _Lyndon think grumpily. From long years of cutting stone, you'll always see the color gray. It was one thing Lyndon hated about being a stone cutter. You'd see the red or black handle of the tools, but it will always be gray. All gray, all the time. Then you get to the Capitol and you hardly see gray. There is gray clothing, but it's never left simple. It always has to be adorned with some detailed drawing or shiny jewel and Lyndon wasn't use to it.

"Hello, Mr. Lyndon!" Caesar shakes Lyndon's hand. Lyndon shakes Caesar's hand without a word. He'll be talking throughout the whole interview anyway.

"You have a daughter in the Hunger Games, who I'm sure you're very proud of-"

"Very proud," Lyndon cuts in.

"Yes, and how different do you think it will be if you had a son instead of a daughter and he was in the Hunger Games?"

"Physically, it'd be the same. Vinera exercises and make sure her body's in its best condition and if I had a son, he'd do that as well. Emotionally, I think I won't have to worry about my son." Lyndon says.

"And why do you think that?" Caesar inquires.

"Females always feel something more than guys. In my opinion, it's harder for women to shut their feelings out. What I'm saying is that when you have a daughter competing in the games, there's a chance that she'll fall in love, regret everything, or just over think the whole strategy." Lyndon elucidates. He knows that saying, "no offense to all you ladies" should be said, but he thinks that if he did, it'd show that he wasn't adamant with this belief.

Booing is made by females in the audience that don't agree with Lyndon's statement. The look on his face shows that this doesn't faze him in the least. He knew that some men would agree with him on this. While the women are letting him know that they don't like what he just said, he sits and waits patiently for Caesar's next question.

Caesar starts saying the next question, but stops when the booing gets louder. "Quiet down, ladies." He says. It takes about five minutes for the women to listen and be quiet.

"Another thing you need to watch out for when it comes to daughters is the boys they date. Has Vinera been giving you problems with this?"

"No. She hasn't been dating anyone as far as I know. That's good; love shouldn't be her top priority right now." Lyndon says harshly.

"It looks like you have high expectations of Vinera. Do you? Or am I wrong?"

"You're very right. Having high expectations will drive your children to succeed and impress you. You won't get the same results by going easy on them and letting mistakes slide. Low expectations equal low performance and failure."

"That makes very sense. I see your point." Caesar compliments.

"Thank you. Most don't." He grumbles. It's like the tone of his voice is saying 'the world is full of idiots'.

The audience laughs briefly. Caesar chortles lightly. "I'm glad I'm not one of those people. You make it very clear that you're not very fond of them. I'd like to ask you this; would you ever wear the dress of Capitol women?"

The look on Lyndon's face sets off loud laughter from the audience. His nose is wrinkled up and you can see the incredulousness in his eyes. His expression is photo-worthy.

"Capitol style is _very _different from _my _style. My style is simple, but fit for the occasion. Capitol style is like thirty-five different colors on one dress!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up. Again, the audience bursts into laughter. Lyndon was not doing this to make them laugh. Oh no, he's being honest.

"You're killing us, Mr. Lyndon. Please, I don't know if I continue on with this interview." Caesar says. As if on cue, the buzzer goes off.

"Saved by the buzzer." Lyndon mutters as he stands up.

"It was wonderful having you out here tonight, Mr. Lyndon." Caesar shakes his hand for the last time. Lyndon only nods and walks in the direction of backstage.

**Shine & Reina**

"Females always feel something? No we don't! What a sexist." Shine says. What Vinera's father just said about girls being mentally vulnerable did not sit well with Shine.

"Maybe-" Reina starts, but is interrupted by Shine.

"Hush, you have a boyfriend,"

Reina scowls at her friend. "Sheesh."

"That is so not true. Who does that guy think he is? If I was sitting in the audience I would've booed him all night." Shine says exasperatedly.

"I know what'll calm you down." Reina says. She turns her body to the table full of delicious food that's right behind the couch and leans over to grab the one that Shine loves. Once the rich, chocolate-glazed bread is in her hands, she hands it over to her.

"Thanks," Shine says, her mouth already full of the dessert.

**Auriga (Vinera's sister)**

The minute the booing began, Auriga flinched and felt bad for her dad. Who knows what she would've done if people in the audience did the same thing to her. She would've cried and run off the stage, she'd keep running until all the cameras and the extraordinary dresses were out of sight. What made her feel less nervous was the reaction that her dad conveyed- nonchalant.

Her hands were shaking and there was nothing she could to slow it down, let alone stop it. _What if my dress is not as nice as those girls from district one? _She mentally asks herself. _Will they start booing me if I'm too boring and quiet? _Is another question that goes through her mind.

She just sits on the couch in their family lounge, waiting for the stage hand and her dad to open the door any minute. Her mom places her gentle hand over her shaky ones and gives it an encouraging squeeze. Auriga smiles at her mom, appreciating the gesture. She really needs it.

The door opens and her dad walks in and wordlessly sits on the couch. He had that annoyed look on his face before his interview, now it was just blank. You couldn't tell if he enjoyed the interview or if it just annoyed the hell out of him even more.

"You did great, dad." Auriga tells him, hoping for a smile, or a half smile at least.

"Thank you." He says in a low voice, drinking a glass of water he poured himself.

"Miss, it's your turn." Auriga turned her head to the stage hand waiting next to the door.

"You'll be amazing out there." Her mom says as she walks out. Auriga flashes a smile in response.

The stage hand leads her to the spot right behind the stage. From there, you can peek out and see the faces of people in the audience and the shower of bright lights raining down on the stage. Auriga stands there, fascinated by everything she sees. She straightens her dress and smoothes the top of her waterfall-braided hair down.

"Why don't we give Auriga, who is Vinera's sister, an awesome greeting?" Caesar asks everyone. The crowd claps and Auriga walks over to Caesar.

"What a lovely young lady we have!" Caesar exclaims. A smile forms on Auriga's pale, pink lips. If Caesar thought this, then maybe she didn't look underdressed for her interview. She shouldn't have worried about a thing.

"Thank you,"

"Let us have a seat, shall we?" Caesar offers.

"We shall." Vinera politely takes his hand and sits.

"You know, we don't even need all these lights to see the strong resemblance you share with Vinera." Caesar points out.

_Why does everyone say that? _Auriga got that all throughout her previous years of school. Whenever Vinera would fetch her after class, most of the classmates say the same thing. '_You and your sister look so much alike' _and some dumb questions even pop up like _Is she your twin? _Auriga doesn't know how Vinera responds to them, but there's no doubt that someone told her that.

"And you're not the first person to say that," Auriga responds.

"Those who said this before me were right. Do you look up to your sister?"

"In a way, yeah. She's fighting for our district and I'm proud to call her my sister, but there are some things that she's done that I don't completely agree with. But I don't blame her, no one's perfect." Auriga answers candidly.

"Yes, no one is perfect. You are very right on that one. Is there any competition between you and your sister?" Caesar leans his head in his hand and sets his elbow on his knees to support everything; this position makes him look eager to hear Auriga's answer.

"Yes, very much. Sibling rivalry is normal in my family. My mom always tells me stories about her and her siblings putting in every effort they have to surpass the other. It gets crazy sometimes because we take competitions very seriously and don't aim for the runner up spot." Auriga says with her head held high. She's proud of her competitiveness. She believes that it's what pushes her to win and be the best.

"What kind of things do you guys compete on?"

"Anything. Who can leave their hand on the heated tea kettle the longest, who can carry the heavier hollow block, who can run the fastest." Auriga remembers. There was so many that she could list. Some of them may sound stupid, but the sisters never turned down a challenge.

"Wow. Shows that your girls mean business when challenging each other." Caesar says, sounding a little surprised.

"We really do. It's not a joke to us, no matter what the competition may be."

"I see that. From watching your sister in the games, would you say she's doing a good job?"

"She's still alive, so yes. She's doing a very good job. She's made it to the final eight, which reminds me that the career alliance hasn't split up yet. That's weird." Auriga says.

"You're right, they haven't. I wonder why, we're all wondering why. How does it feel like watching your sister in the Hunger Games?"

"It feels like she's a celebrity because people here treat me like the sister of one. They run at me with cameras, taking pictures and asking questions." Auriga tells Caesar, recalling a bunch of paparazzi people running to her as soon as she arrived.

"Tell me about it. Imagine how it's like for me." Caesar pretends to sound tired from all it and it makes the audience laugh.

The buzzer goes off. "Let's hear it one more time for Auriga, sister of Vinera, our district two female tribute!" Caesar exclaims. As Auriga leaves, the crowd behind her applauds.

**Gemmis Family**

_I wonder if she's really close to her sister. She seems pretty calm about her competing, but that's because she hasn't seen her sister go through what my sister did. I was scared shitless when Amethine got that leg wound. She'll get scared soon. Just because Vinera's still alive doesn't mean that she's doing a good job. My sister will emerge as the victor. _Amethyst sneers at the screen, which shows Auriga entering backstage.

"Are you jealous of her dress, too?" Her father jokes, ruffling her hair.

Amethyst tries to smack his hand, but he is too fast for her. "Watch the hair, dad."

"You already go interviewed." Charles retorts.

"I know, but when we leave there's no doubt that the paparazzi is outside waiting."

Charles puts his hands up in surrender. Amethyst can get too feisty at times.

"Geode, are you still eating that lemon candy even though I told you to stop?" Susan turns her head to the right. She suspected this when Vinera's sister's interview started and he went behind the couch, where all the food was.

"No," He says with his mouth full of the candy.

Hearing this, Susan fully turns and faces him. "Get your butt over here, mister." She demands.

Geode nervously walked to his mother. "You stay on this couch right next to me and if you get off to get some more candy, I will take away your sword when we get home." Susan says sternly. "Am I clear?" she asks. Geode nods.

"It's okay buddy, let's just watch the interviews." Charles leans down and says in his ear. Amethyst and Garnet just watch their brother get scolded and pop the lemon candy in their mouths, giggling quietly.

* * *

"It's time to focus on the family of district two male tribute, Caiden!" Caesar tells the audience. "Let's begin and give his mother a warm welcome!"

Caiden's mother, Danielle walks out in a cream colored dress. It took forever for her to make up her mind on which dress she was going to wear for her interview. Due to owning a shop, Danielle has a closet full of pretty dresses, and that's what her caused her family to almost miss the train- deciding. Danielle went to the hairdresser early, knowing that it'd take a while for her to decide on a hairstyle that'd go good with the outfit she had picked out. That time spent in the salon was worth it. Danielle's hairstyle is a very elegant, French fishtail chignon. She thought that she was going to have to fix her hair on her own when she looked through the book of hairstyles and found nothing she liked, but the hairdresser suggested doing something that wasn't in the book. Danielle was wary, but loved the result.

She took Caesar's hand and twirls, her dress spinning gracefully like her. Caesar lets go of her hand and claps like a little child watching a magician do tricks. "Your dress is beautiful!" He says when he stops with the clapping.

"Thank you." Danielle responds. Caesar takes her hand again and guides her to the chairs.

"I know I said it already, but your dress is very pretty." Caesar says again.

"Thank you. It was hard deciding what to wear, so I'm glad you like it."

"You're very welcome. Is Caiden stylish like you?"

"No, not at all. He's not a fan of dressing up, but he will when needed to." She laughs to herself. When Caiden was eight, you practically had to have six people to hold him down while one puts the suit on.

"Judging by your dress, the other members of your family must be lovely-looking, too." Caesar assumes.

"Well, I had to approve their attire, so you're right." Danielle smiles devilishly. Caesar chuckles.

"Seeing that you like fashion, what did you think of the costumes displayed in the chariot rides?"

"They were fantastic. This year's stylists are very talented."

"That is correct. Why don't we give it up for the stylists of the 61st Hunger Games!" Caesar says, and the audience does so.

When it's all quiet again, Caesar speaks. "You are definitely not unaware of how handsome your son is, and I'm sure the same goes for the ladies out there-" Caesar stops to allow many of Caiden's fans to scream. "Do you think that Caiden will find romance in the games, or after he wins?"

Luckily for Caiden and Vinera, no camera caught their lovey-dovey moment prior to the careers crossing the bridge to a section of the arena they hadn't seen. They also didn't capture the conversation Amethine and Vinera had when they were on guard. There are many cameras set up in the arena every year, but that quick kiss that the district two tributes had shared behind the huge boulder and the things the girls talked about was not recorded.

"I don't think Caiden will find romance in the games, but after the games I am very sure he will."

"And why do you think he won't find love in the games?" Caesar asks.

"Because he makes it very clear that he's here to win, and only win. If it's not on his list of things to do, then he won't do it." Danielle answers succinctly.

"Now you're sure that your son will find love after he wins. How would you feel if he was to marry not too long after his victory?"

"As long as his happy, then I'll be okay with it, but if I do not like the girl at all then it'll be a different story." Danielle clarifies.

"No one will blame you if you take action. I mean it's a mother's job to look out for her son, right? Have you and Caiden devised a strategy for his path to victory?"

"Yes, he's talked about it with both his father and I." Danielle nods.

"How would you feel if Caiden tells you one thing and does something completely opposite? In other words, what if he had a different strategy the whole time?"

"I would feel shocked and betrayed. I'd think "Why did he have to keep it from me?" I'd also be a little hurt, but I'm sure I won't hold a grudge." She smiles amicably. She was known for forgiving people for what they've done, and some would take it for granted and hurt her again, but there was some that was smart enough repeat their mistake, knowing that they might not get a second chance.

"That's understandable. Here's the last question: Would you ever be a stylist for the Hunger Games?" Caesar grins, eager for her answer.

"Yes and no." Danielle admits. Caesar motions for her to explain. "Yes, because it'd be a wonderful experience and no because I'm not very creative and I don't know if I have what it takes to make the tributes look dazzling." She explains.

"I disagree; I think you'll do well." Caesar pats her leg. She smiles and says, "Thank you." With the buzzer following.

Danielle stands up and shakes Caesar's hand. "Thank you Ms. Danielle and we wish the best of luck to your son!" Caesar waves to her as she walks away.

…

"Mom is only good at picking out clothes. Not making them." Ester leans back on the furniture.

"What makes you so sure about that?" The men turned their heads to Danielle standing in front of the door with her hands on her hips.

"Big mouth." Elton smacks the back of his brother's head. Elton always kept trash talking at a whisper or say it in room where the person isn't in.

"I don't think your girlfriend will find talking bad about your mother's skills attractive." She wags her finger. Ester turns red.

Haley is everything Ester wants in a girl: Smart, sarcastic, and is not afraid to play with the boys. She was known as the tomboy during their childhood, and still is, but doesn't dress like one. She didn't make it obvious, but you'd get the picture when you see her in a simple tanktop and skinny jeans; she wasn't much of a flamboyant, dress-obsessed gal. The two have been dating for a four months and she is great with the whole family, in fact everyone's happy that Ester didn't bring home those haughty types. What raised Ester's love for Haley was the fact that she got along with her brothers. When Elton and Caiden first met her, it wasn't awkward at all.

On the day that Ester planned for her to meet the boys, Danielle made dinner for the four of them. She and Vernon couldn't make it because they had to watch the store. They always have to watch the store since they own it. The table was set and the boys waited for their brother's girlfriend to arrive. Haley was supposed to arrive at six, but when six o'clock turned to six thirty, Ester began to fidget. Was she so nervous that she cancelled? No, she's not a coward, she wouldn't skip out just because of that. When she finally arrived, she apologized profusely and said that she was helping her cousin practice for her lacrosse game. Ester and Caiden love lacrosse, and told her not to worry about it, then they all ate and talked about sports.

"Excited for your interview, dad?" Ester tries to avert the attention away from him.

"Not really. That host freaks me the hell out." Vernon replies. Danielle and the boys laugh at him.

Elton pats him on the shoulder. "You'll do find, pops."

A stage hand appears and ushers Vernon towards the same spot that every family member had to wait before Caesar introduced them. He whistles and waits.

"Ms. Danielle is very lovely. Let's see how her husband is. Let's welcome Mr. Vernon to the stage!" Vernon steps out.

**Fortis family**

"I wish I can take this home with me." Linda holds the glass of champagne up to the light, making the liquid appear brighter.

"How much trouble would we be in if we did?" Reggie asks.

Linda shrugs. It was during the interview of Vinera's father that they decided to open up the bottle sitting on the corner of the table. Coming from the Capitol, Linda and Reggie fell in love with the taste at first sip. It was very smooth, with a balance of everything-spice, sweetness, and fruit. Linda has made it her goal to find anything like it at home

"I don't think it'll be a big deal." Linda says to him. _It's just one bottle. They have millions being produced as we speak._

"We're taking something that's not ours. That's considered stealing." Reggie points out.

"How are you Mr. Vernon?" Linda faces the screen to watch. "Quiet; the interview is about to start." Her husband always follows the rules. No matter how bad that rule needs to be broken to have something important taken care of, he wouldn't do it. Sometimes it'd annoy her to the point where she wanted to yell, "You're not a schoolboy who will get put in the corner if you disobey!" But then again, Snow would do so much more than just put you in the corner.

"Why are you so interested in watching _his _interview?" Reggie asks, trying to keep his tone serious so she wouldn't sense that he's joking.

"Oh Reggie, I only have eyes for you." She pecked him on the cheek.

"Me too. I only have eyes for you…and Mrs. Yerdent." He snickered. Linda laughs and smacks his arm. "Mrs. Yerdent is two decades older than you." She couldn't stop laughing.

Reggie rubs her back when she leans forward and holds her stomach. He likes making her laugh because it takes her attention away from the stress she has with Evan being in the games. Seeing her laugh didn't make him stop, too. The image of her laughing uncontrollably in a classy dress and her hair all nicely done up is funny. She opens her eyes and wipes a tear away. When her laughing stops, she hears the audience laughing, too. They're laughing at something either Caesar or the man he's interviewing said.

"Let's watch now." She lightly slaps his knee.

"When he told me that he didn't know how to box, he really meant it." Vernon tells Caesar, laughing a little himself.

"What did you do when he knocked out?"

"I got on my knees and checked if it left a mark, ofcourse."

"And did he have a bruise?" Caesar asks.

"No."

"Did you try to wake him up?"

"I knew he was fine." Vernon recalls.

"Then what did you do while he was unconscious?"

"Laughed my head off." Vernon grins. The audience bursts into laugher.

Caesar laughs, too. "Did Ester get punished?"

"No, I know he didn't mean it. I just got mad at him for not being easy on him, especially since he was a beginner."

"I bet you all love to make fun of Caiden for that." Caesar claims.

"Yes we do. We always mention it when he brags about his muscles. One time he was flexing it, teasing me about how his are way bigger than mine when I was his age and Ester said, "Where were those muscles when I knocked you unconscious in boxing?" Vernon chuckles.

"Looks like you have a humorous family."

"We do share a lot of laughs together, but we are also very serious. We may joke around and tease each other, but we always pay close attention to what needs to be done and do it right." He clarifies.

District 2 is known for their stonework and the individuals are known to be strong- both physically and mentally. The district produces the most vicious careers of the Hunger Games and most of the time they're the strongest careers among the alliance. When you see a family from district two laughing and being silly, you get confused. Aren't they supposed to be mean and obnoxious? Does this mean that they're soft and not tough as we though they are? Don't let Vernon's family fool you. They are as serious about the Hunger Games as an eager eighteen year old is about participating in them.

Both the men and women of Vernon's family are overachievers. You're learning about rocks in school and you're homework is to bring in three rocks. The typical student would do just that- come in with three rocks and that's it. If you were Vernon or anyone else in the bloodline, you'd bring a basket full of them, each being a different type. He always hoped that his children would be overachievers. The praise you get for going above and beyond made you feel on top of the world and Vernon loved it, and he wants his boys to experience the feeling.

"A serious family who knows how to laugh at times? I'd say that's a good mix. After winning, what do you hope will become of Caiden?"

"I hope that after his victory he'll continue taking care of his body. He shouldn't stop there; he should take care of his mind as well. Your intelligence can be a lethal weapon if you use it right." He presses his fingers together and moves around in his chair until he's in a comfortable position.

"I know you're son is making you proud and you think he's the best in the career alliance, but besides him who in the career alliance leaves you impressed?"

"The boy from district four."

"Sebastian." Caesar nods, understanding. "Why him?"

"Has a similar build to Caiden, I'm sure he won't go down easily." He enlightens.

"We'll just have to wait and see, right? Only time will tell."

"Yes, yes it will."

**Fortis family**

"He shouldn't be worried about Sebastian. Evan is the one he needs to look out for, right hun?" Reggie turns to Linda for conformity.

Instead she just keeps her eyes on the screen in front of them, pretending that she didn't hear him. She doesn't want to think about her son killing someone else – most importantly, someone who was in the same alliance as him. She saw him in action in the bloodbath, and it took everything strength she had in her to not break down. Her boy, her only child who had a kind heart and respected his parents was stabbing other children and watching their lifeless body fall to the ground.

Reggie shifts uncomfortably in his place. He didn't mean to make things awkward. He just wanted to give her some hope and assure her that Evan is strong, and he'll come out alive. Reggie rubs his wife's arm, then goes back to watching the interview.

* * *

"How does it feel like having no girls in the family?"

"Having no girls is alright with me. The day I found out that Danielle was pregnant; I didn't really care about the gender. I was happy with whatever she bore. I'd like to see how it'd be like to have a daughter in a house full of boys."

"How do you think things will be if you had all girls instead?" Caesar questions.

"I think you'll have to be on guard all the time. Parents will be very overprotective of their daughter mostly and I'd be the same if I had one. Especially with dating- I'd make sure that the guy is better than Prince Charming himself." Vernon says in a very serious tone.

"But with boys, it's very different."

"Very different." Vernon nods.

"Earlier we asked the father of the female tribute how different it'd be to raise a female career and what he said didn't go well with the ladies in the crowd."

"I remember that. They weren't happy. Glad it didn't happen to me."

"I am too. Never underestimate the power of woman, an extremely mad one at that." Caesar shakes his head.

"Oh yeah." The signal of Vernon's interview being over is heard and Caesar thanks him. Vernon walks back to his lounge.

"Why did Caesar have to ask that? Now mom is going to want a baby girl." Ester whines.

"Oh, shut your trap, boy. Do you want me to go far as to tell Haley about embarrassing childhood moments?" Danielle asks.

"No." Ester says, defeated.

Your mother is the only female in your life that knows you better than anyone else. This applies to the ones that spend time with their children and actually pay attention to them. The ones that don't cause them to take the wrong path. It'd be stupid to say that about a mom who always gets drunk and barely knows where her child is.

Danielle is that mother that keeps a close eye on her children, but also gives them space to breathe. With Vernon's family being full of overachievers, it rubbed off on her. Any grade below a B was not acceptable and both Danielle and Vernon would hire a tutor to help them improve. It was worth the money to have your son be a genus and it was obvious that money is not a problem to them. They own a weapon shop and what makes them the best is the type of stone they use for their blades. Soft surface, but very dangerous. The stone is very expensive. Vernon and Danielle assigned their long time employee, Joshua, to take care of things while they go to the Capitol to get interviewed.

"After the parents are interviewed, it doesn't matter who gets interviewed next, right?" Ester asks anyone who is willing to answer.

"Yes." Vernon says as he closes the door.

"Sweet! I'm up next." Ester gets up, only to get pushed down by Elton. "No you're not. I am." He states calmly.

Ester looks up and scowls. "But I want to go first."

"Come one, Ester. I just want to get this over with." Elton replies.

"Ester just let him go." Danielle chimes in.

"Fine. They saved the best for last." Ester crosses his arms.

Elton just rolls his eyes at his brother's immaturity. They're the complete opposite of each other. Ester can talk forever if you let him, whereas Elton is not one to spark a conversation. He'll talk to you if you say something first, but don't expect him to say much.

Elton walks out of the room, not knowing where to go until he walks into the same lady that took his dad when it was his turn. She leads him to the same spot she brought Vernon to. Elton looks around backstage. There are plenty red doors around, each being a lounge for a family. The stage hands are wearing the same thing; the girls a plain black dress that falls three inches below their knees and has shirt sleeves and the boys a black long sleeve shirt with matching slacks. Being in a gray suit makes Elton feel like a fish out of water among the sea of black.

They look so calm going about their business and taking care of things when inside they're really freaking out. Two of them, a boy and girl, are looking at a touch screen board. The girl is going over everything and reminding the boy of the important things. The boy nods and says he's got it. All of them are wearing ear pieces and talk into the watch on their wrists, where the mic must be. Backstage is well-lit and all Elton is thinking about is answering all of Caesar's questions and joining his family.

"My next guest is a sibling of Caiden's- the oldest one. Come on out, Elton!" Caesar holds his hand up and faces it to where Elton will be walking out.

Elton strides out with calm expression. He didn't look happy or mad, but something in between. He gives Caesar a nod and shakes his hand.

"We all enjoyed those memories your father shared with us. Do you have any yourself?" Caesar puts his left leg over his right, making his shoe rest on the opposite thigh.

"No, sorry. They're not quite clear. You can ask my brother Ester, though. I'm sure he can tell you about some. Actually, he'll tell you everything. He won't shut up the minute he sits down."

Caesar laughs. "He's a chatter box?"

"More like a chatter _chest_." Elton says in a low voice. Laughter comes from the audience.

"If that's the case then I don't think Ester will be happy with the fact that his interview has a time limit."

"Uh-huh" Elton concurs.

"Did you help Caiden prepare for the games?" Caesar jumps into another subject.

"Yeah, I made him get up early in the morning and jog. I jogged with him and took him to the gym to keep his muscles in shape."

"That sounds helpful. Do you guys like working out?"

"Yes we do. We always go to the gym whenever we have time. It's fun and it helps you." Ofcourse Elton had the best muscles. Ester would ignore this and brag to Haley that he's got the biggest, but Haley isn't stupid. They all know that Elton works out a lot. He has to if he wants to be a good Peacekeeper.

"I can tell you work out a lot, and I don't mean to brag, but mine are natural." Caesar flexes his arm.

Elton leans forward. "I don't see anything."

The audience laughs. "Well, that's because of this suit. I don't want to take time away from your interview just to display my guns." Caesar says jokingly. Again, the audience laughs, but more loud. They're sure that underneath that expensive suit is just a plain arm. Not a buff, intimidating one.

"That's enough of my manly arms and back to you. I bet your muscle tone reels the ladies in." The host waggles his eyebrows.

"Yeah, it does, but I'm not really interested in starting a relationship."

Elton thinks that love isn't really important. Seeing Haley and Ester made him see that it does feel nice to have that special someone, but it's not a big deal to him. He's not hunting for that one girl that can bring the emotions out of him, and he thinks that love will find him whenever it wants to and Elton doesn't mind.

"Why is that?" Caesar asks out of pure curiosity. He's got all the looks and although he doesn't say a lot, he does seem nice. It doesn't look that hard to find a girl.

"It's not on my "Important Things to Do" list." He shrugs.

"Okay, well, I hope that when you do find that girl you'll both be very happy." Caesar says. Elton nods in appreciation. "How about your brothers? Do they have a gal?"

"Ester does, and Caiden doesn't because my parents don't allow him too. They think it'll distract him from preparing for the games." Caesar's head bobs up and down, listening.

"No one blames them. He needs all the time he can get. Now, when it comes to you, or your brothers dating, do you all have to approve of the girl?"

"Yes. I want my brothers to be happy and if the girl doesn't make him happy, then I don't like her." Elton admits.

"Aww, that's sweet." Caesar puts both his hands over his heart.

"Whatever." Elton shakes his head.

"I'm just playing around." Caesar pats him on the back.

_Buzz. _Elton is the first to get up from his chair.

"Thank you, Elton!" Caesar firmly shakes his hand. Elton nods. "Yeah, no problem."

_Glad that's over. _Elton enters backstage and expects a stage hand to come out of the blue to take him back to his family's lounge.

"Follow me, sir." The stage hand is a female, no difference from the other stage hands that helped his parents find their way. She's a little short; her head is so close to touching the tip of Elton's shoulder. Elton is 5'10 and the stage walking in front of him is probably about 5'7 or 5'6. Her hair is tied into a perfect bun just like the other female stage hands.

Once he walks into the lounge, Ester is already walking towards him. "What a lame interview. Very boring, I must say." He teases, making a sad face.

"But I liked that "I don't like any girl that doesn't break my brother's happy meter' thing. I was close to tears." He adds.

"Whatever, I don't care if it was lame." Elton just brushes him away, his cool demeanor leaves Ester feeling beaten.

"Well, whatever Mr. Lame-O. I'll show you how a smooth interview goes." He brushes off imaginary dirt off of his suit. "Mom, dad, this is for you." He points to them before walking out.

Danielle slaps her hand against her heads and leaves her palms flat against the skin.

"Let's pray he doesn't make a fool of himself."

* * *

"Do you guys get paid a lot?" Ester asks the stage hand.

"The pay is decent." Her Capitol accent is strong, hinting that she may have lived here all her life.

"Do you have to go to some kind of school to do this?"

"Yes."

"So-"

"That's all I can tell you. Sorry, but I signed a contract, and you stay and wait here for Caesar to introduce you, got it?" She asked, sounding annoyed.

Ester nods. She leaves to tend to something else now that Ester is where he needs to be.

_I hope I don't have to wait long._

"Another sibling of Caiden's is out here tonight. He's the middle child and like his oldest brother said, is a chatter _chest._ I'm sure he'll have lots to say so let's bring him out!" Caesar says to the audience, who gets enthuse.

_I'm not a chatter chest. Why did Elton have to say that? I'll get back at him by pulling off a prank that'll surely piss him off._

Happy that he didn't have to wait long, Ester jogs out and gives Caesar a high five instead of shaking his head. He waves at the crowd who claps for him. They're sure that he won't be a bore.

"You are very excited about this interview, huh?" Caesar asks him when they both take their seats.

Ester nods eagerly. He looks into the camera to his left and says, "Watch and learn, Elton. Watch and learn."

Caesar chuckles and there is soft laughter emerging from the audience. "Is there a competition to see who has the best interview?"

"No, I just thought that Elton's interview was lame. He didn't talk much, and if there was a competition, I'd win easily." Ester brags.

"He doesn't talk much and from what he's told me, you're a chatter chest. Feels like you're exact opposites." Caesar says.

"Yeah, I guess we are. I'm talkative and awesome and Elton is not talkative and lame." Ester says with a proud smile. The audience laughs again.

"Do you like to make fun of him?"

"Sometimes. If I tease him all the time, I'll end up with a broken arm."

"Do you fight with all of your siblings a lot?"

"Yeah, we fight, but it's not all the time. Sometimes it can be for dumb reasons." One time Ester and Caiden ended up wrestling on the ground just for the last chocolate cookie their mom made. Vernon walked in and stopped them, told them to stop being immature, then took the cookie for himself and smiled at the boys before walking back to his room.

"If Caiden wins, will you move into his new home in Victor's village?" Caesar expects a humorous answer, and what Ester says next proves his prediction correct.

"Yes! I'm so excited thinking about it now. I've never been in one before. I think it'd make a great party house. Maybe I should start planning. How many bathrooms are inside?" Ester asks Caesar, thinking that he may have seen what it's like in a Victor's house.

"I myself have not stepped in a house of a victor. I'd love to see, though."

Being the Hunger Games host is a fun job for Caesar. You get to see what's on the tribute's minds –that's if they're really open- and talk to famous people. Caesar has interviewed more than five hundred tributes throughout his entire career. All he had to do was ask questions, the important ones that even the audience wants to ask themselves. But sometimes it all seemed crazy to Caesar when you interview a tribute one night and get to know a little bit about them, and then you never speak or see them again after the games. It really depends on the tribute and what skills they have and how fit and smart they are, and if they don't have much, then there's a slim chance that Caesar will hear from them again.

"I bet a hundred people can fit inside. You know what I think?"

"What do you think?" Caesar agrees to hear it.

"Everything inside is made up of gold." Ester nods to himself, feeling confident about what he said. The audience is howling with laughter. He looks so convinced that he's right and he's probably got more predictions.

Caesar takes some time before asking the next question. What Ester said got him laughing a lot as well. "I don't know about that, but you'll see. When Caiden comes out of the Hunger Games, will you show him off to all your friends and brag?"

"You bet I will. It'll be cool to walk around saying, 'My little brother just won the Hunger Games!' I bet a lot of people will want to hang out with me." He relaxes his arms on the chair.

"I can see that you're getting very excited. I don't blame you; I'd be so too. When asking Elton if he had a girlfriend, he said he didn't, but he did mention that you have one. Let's talk about that." Caesar suggests.

"Okay."

"How did you meet your girlfriend?"

That day was a day to remember for the both of them. 'How are they together?' is what most people would ask. He's a boy who loves to talk and she barely talks, but when she does, it's something sarcastic. They balance each other out, that's how they work. From being with Ester, Haley has learned to be a little less rude and from being with Haley, Ester brings the talking down a notch, but according to Elton it's not enough.

His mom wouldn't stop bothering him about looking for a job, and when he asked to work for her, she wasn't so sure. Ester is lazy. If he's not playing sports outside or hanging out with friends or Haley, he'll be sleeping. Danielle would always get mad at him for appearing to be energetic when it comes to playing around, but it's the opposite when it comes to working. "You play hard, but you don't work hard." she'd always say.

It was the weekend and Ester threw a party at his house while his parents decided to spend their day off with just the two of them. Vernon took Danielle to lunch, went shopping with her, and took a walk around the park. Elton didn't want anything to do with party because he knew that his mother would not be happy and Caiden trained for the most of the day. The party started in an early afternoon and ended late at night, which was the same time Vernon and Danielle came home. Both had a great day and were happy with how things went, but everything changed when they walked into their messy, bottle and cup-covered house. By the time the party was over, Ester was already drunk.

Danielle didn't throw a fit, knowing that the cause of her anger was already passed out on the living room floor. She cleaned the place up with Vernon's help and the next morning she let it all out on Ester. The minute he woke up she told him that she needed to talk to him and that needs to shower and eat first. When he's done with all of that, that's when the yelling came. Danielle made it clear that she was tired of watching him do nothing with his life and emphasized that if he didn't start looking for jobs, he won't get to stay in her house any longer. Ester had never seen his mom so pissed off and knew that she was serious. Waiting until she was done, he asked if he could work at her and Vernon's shop.

She didn't want him to have it the easy way and had the idea that if knew that he was working for his parents, he wouldn't really care, but he was her son and he needed help. She figured it may give him a good start. After thinking about it, she said yes. His first day at work didn't go as planned. The cash register that he parents just upgraded was very confusing for him and costumers weren't happy with waiting long. He assured Danielle and Vernon that he had everything under control and Danielle said that she'd check on him in lunch. Then Haley walked in with her cousin, who developed a sudden fascination with knife throwing. She could've trained at the academy, but she had no desire to be in the Hunger Games. Haley promised to buy her whatever throwing knife she wanted and she picked out a set of small ones.

Just like the previous ones, Haley and her cousin had to wait until Ester figured out how the cash register worked. You'd think he'd have figured everything out by now, but he didn't. Haley didn't hide her annoyance and kept telling Ester that they had some place else they needed to be at soon. While he was trying to work with the register, she left sarcastic remarks left and right and when he finally got their money in and handed them their change there was no 'thank you'. Haley took the money from his hands, said 'finally' and walked out, her cousin right behind her. Despite her being a real big bitch there was something about her that had drawn him in and he just had to know her name.

"I was manning the cash register at my parent's shop and she came to buy something. The problem was that the cash register was giving me a hard time and she wasn't too happy about that. She made these little comments and after the thing started to work with me and I punched her money in, I said, 'Who is that?'"

"And what were your responses to those comments?"

"I kept it cool. With me being a flirt, I tried to calm her down with some of my famous smooth talk, but it didn't work." Ester lets his head hand down. A smile starts to break out on his face and he brings he head back up. "But now we're dating and it's going great." He flashes a smile that shows his teeth off.

Caesar chuckles. "Yes you are, and it looks like everything is going great."

"Yes, they are." Ester nods in agreement.

_Buzz. _Ester's interview is over. "The time went by so fast." Ester says as he stands.

"Before he leaves, let's give him one more round of applause, everybody!" Caesar exclaims. The audience claps and Ester heads for backstage.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think. I'm sorry that it took long to post, and I hope that I didn't lose any of you. I'm also sorry for any mistakes. I wanted to post this chapter up A.S.A.P because you guys have waited long enough. I love you all and thanks for reading!**


	32. A Parting Gift

**Hey guys! I'm so happy that I was able to update within the same month as my latest chapter. All your feedback from the last chapter is appreciated. Thanks guys! **

**My worse fear has come true; I've lost some readers. I'm very sorry for having you guys wait a long time for the previous chapter, and I hope I'll get you back.**

* * *

"_We need to move the body before it starts to smell." Vinera wipes the sweat off her forehead._

"_I'll get the tail." Sebastian, who was quiet the whole time, speaks._

_Evan goes to the opposite end and Caiden stands in the middle of the mutt's body. They start to lift it up and I walk over to my spears. Picking up the ones that are on the ground, I push them into the sheath and throw it over my shoulder. Vinera is right behind the boys, kicking the mutt's head then running in the direction it rolled in to kick it farther away. She doesn't want to pick it up. The face freaks her out and she doesn't want to look at its still-open eyes._

_I can still feel the pain from the scratch, but the gel Vinera applied has prevented it from feeling a whole lot worse. Marina stands next to me and starts asking about my well-being._

"_It's fine." I tell her._

"_Are you sure?" _

"_Yes, Marina I'm sure. I'm not a baby. I'm okay." I say in annoyance. _

"_Okay. I think that it'll get infected if you sleep without a bandage." She says slowly, scared that I might snap._

_I nod. "I'll put a band-aid on." I begin to walk into the cave, but she pulls my arm back._

"_I'll do it. You might mess the gel up." She says._

"_Fine." _

_Sitting next to my sleeping bag, I wait for her to nurture my scratch. Marina steps over her sleeping bag to get to the pack and pulls four medium size band-aids out. It takes about a minute for me to see that it's a teal blue color. When she comes back, she sits right in front of me with her legs crossed. _

"_I don't want a drop of gel to be left out when I put the band-aid on." She starts to take the plastic flaps off of one band-aid_

_She holds the band-aid up to my face, but puts it back down and starts moving the gel around. Her goal is to keep all the gel in the middle of each scratch so it'll heal better with the gel and band-aid. The other four come back inside, and I can smell the sweat that the boys produced during their hard work. _

"_Carrying that mutt was hard work." Caiden swings his arms back and forth. _

"_Was it too much for you?" Sebastian cocks an eyebrow._

"_No. I'm not complaining. In fact, lifting that much weight helped these fellows." He motions to his muscles._

_Vinera rolls her eyes. This tells me that she finds Caiden being conceited annoying. _

"_Amethine," I turn to Marina. "Face forward."_

_Facing forward, I feel the first band-aid being applied. The other three are put on shortly afterwards. _

"_Thank you." I get up. _

"_No problem." She nods._

"_Evan and Caiden, you're keeping watch tonight." _

_Evan nods, okay with the idea, but Caiden isn't. "Come on, I'm tired." He groans._

"_And so am I, but trust me, I'm way more exhausted then you are." I retort as I get into my sleeping bag. Sebastian, Marina, and Vinera are preparing for slumber, leaving Caiden defeated. _

_Evan heads for the mouth of the cave to start and I hear Caiden stomping right behind him._

_Just to make him mad, I say, "Nighty night, Caiden! Don't let the arena bugs bite!" in a high-pitched voice._

* * *

**Day 10**

We need to split up. It's already down to the bottom eight and we're still hunting together and sleeping in the same camp. That's going to change today, which is actually good timing since I plan and heading back to the forest near the Cornucopia. Maybe I'll just go hunting with my soon-to-be- ex-allies and hold most of the game, then when we're about to split, I'll get out of this side of the arena and hide in the forest that's on the other side.

That'll be real entertaining for the audience, but I'm not going to do that. It's a stupid plan. I'm confident that I can outrun all of them, but my disadvantage is the log that I'm going to have to cross. Crossing it is not very difficult for me, but these guys will have their weapons out and I've spent a lot of time with them to know that they're not idiots when it comes to aiming. I won't be able to defend myself when they send their arrows and shuriken stars. The one and only thing I'll have my hands on is the rope and I am not going to risk my life by using one hand to hold on and the other to hurl spears back. Plus, I'm not going to waste my spears.

Opening my eyes about half an inch, the bright yellow glow enters and I shut my eyes.

"Rise and shine, golden goddess!" He kneels down beside me and shakes me. I guess this is payback for teasing.

I send my knee to his stomach in retaliation and he groans. He starts to lean back slowly, and then lays down on the ground. Vinera sees this and scolds me. She doesn't help Caiden up, not wanting to make their relationship obvious. I smirk a little and pretend I'm still sleeping. It's no use; someone else might've witnessed it. Getting out of my sleeping bag, Caiden starts to get up slowly.

"You really can't take a joke." He breathes out, his hands still on the place I kneed him.

"You really don't how serious I am about my sleep."

I scoop some oatmeal out of the pot and into my bowl. The ones in the pot are our last cans of oatmeal. Taking my food outside, I see everyone else sitting around the same boulder that Evan, Gary, and Sebastian were sitting on the day of Gary's death. Evan is also eating his breakfast, and I'm glad. I don't want everyone to be waiting on me.

When I finish, I put the bowl in the utensil bag. After Evan finishes his breakfast, I tell him to do the same. We're going to drag the utensil bag with us on our hunt. They need some washing.

No one has to be told what to do after the last person is done with their food. It's good to know they're all aware of the routine. I will never tell them this, but it makes me proud. Walking into the cave, I arm myself and grab my pack. I wait for the others outside the cave.

Sebastian is second to finish, then Vinera, Marina, Evan, then Caiden.

"Someone needs to carry the utensil bag. The utensils need to be washed." I say.

"We're still going to hunt, right?" Sebastian asks.

"Ofcourse. We're also going to fill our flasks and wash the utensils." I reply.

Evan volunteers to carry it, and after waiting for him to fetch it, we start walking. Judging by the shade of the daylight, it's almost noon and it's really hot. No one says much when we walk. I'm blaming that on the heat. What if each of them is thinking about a plan to detach themselves from the alliance? This is my prediction for every one of them.

Evan-Since he's known me longer than anyone here, he might tell me that he's leaving.

Caiden- He'd make it obvious that he's leaving. He won't be scared to put it out there. The only person that he'll have a hard time telling it to will be Vinera. Who knows? They might leave together.

Vinera- Same as Caiden. She won't be afraid to say she wants to leave.

Sebastian-He won't say much when he leaves, but when he does he'll try not to hurt anyone's feelings. Though he may be gentle, he won't be shy to defend his reasons for leaving.

Marina- She'll be timid about telling everyone. She won't be able to look any of us in the eye when she does so. If telling us seems too much, she'll probably sneak off or try to be subtle about separating.

Every time we hunt in this area, I always see the tree as some type of halfway point. It's the same tree that the family of Mockingjays was perched on before we killed them. It's coming into view now. I'm in the front leading everyone there as usual, Sebastian is someone to my right about four feet away, Marina is walking right behind him, Evan is a few feet behind him with Caiden to his left and Vinera on his right. All of us are moving at the same pace, except for Evan who starts to fall a couple of feet behind.

"Take a five minute break." I order.

When I decide to sit down right here on the spot that we've come to a halt on, I change my mind.

"Let's sit under that tree."I point to the tree that we passed about ten feet ahead.

They all walk over there without a word and happily sit under the shade that the tree provides. Caiden moves around, looking for the spot that has the most shade. When everyone is settled in their own place, I place my right foot on the tree and use both of my hands to grab onto a branch and pull myself up. I sit down on the branch above the lowest one. Scooting near the trunk, I lean against it. The wind rushes by and the leaves flutter in the wind along with my hair that's too short to tie.

Staying like this for a while, I realize that our five minute break has turned into ten minutes. The others don't seem to mind and in fact, they're getting comfortable. It's been silent the whole time we stay under this tree. I get down from the tree and stand in front everyone. The silence had me thinking that some of them were taking a nap, but now I see that no one is.

"Break's over." I announce.

I start walking and hear the boots of my allies behind me. Sebastian offers to hold the utensil bag and Evan thankfully nods and hands it over. Now Evan's on my right, Sebastian is to my left, Marina behind me, Vinera next to her, and Caiden behind them.

We walk faster this time. I keep my eyes open for any game that will fill our stomachs and find nothing yet. My ears are on alert as well, and I'm glad that everyone is quiet; it helps.

* * *

The arrow impales the bird before I even see it. The only time it comes into full view is when in falls in front of me.

I turn to Marina. Everyone looks at her. She smiles shyly. I walk over to the bird and pick it up. It's not a Mockingjay, but its wings have are far more beautiful than one. The wings are brown, white, and red and looks like someone literally painted the bird. Its brown beak is slightly open and so are its eyes.

"Good job." I congratulate Marina.

"Thank you." She smiles humbly.

I attach the bird to my belt and we continue walking. When we finally reach the water hole, everyone starts to take their pack off. Sebastian spills the utensils out of the bag and they fall to the ground. The hole is untouched. The tarp and four rocks we placed over it looks just how we left it.

Vinera and Marina use their flask to collect water and rinse the utensils. They put the utensils that they've already rinsed back into the bag and move onto the next one. The rest of us get our flasks and purifying tablets ready. I find one tablet at the bottom of my pack and lay it on the ground next to my flask.

"You two-" I point to Caiden and Evan. "Follow me hunt while they rinse. Sebastian, you stay here and be on guard. They're paying attention to the utensils, leaving them vulnerable."

Sebastian nods. "If they're done and we're not back, just fill my flask." I pick my flask up and shake it.

"Kay."

The three of us head north after the boys put their packs back on. The farthest we've ever been is the water hole. I take a spear out from the sheath and grip it tightly.

* * *

"Nothing?" Vinera asks as we approach them.

I let someone else answer since I'm pissed we came back empty-handed. Sitting on the ground, I pick my flask up and feel that it's full due to the weight.

"Thanks." I say to Sebastian.

"You're welcome." He responds.

"Should we continue hunting?" Vinera turns to me.

"No."

She looks confused. "I'll talk about that when we get back to camp." I state. She doesn't ask anymore questions and starts talking to Marina.

We stay here and drink our water, then fill it back up for later. We do this for fifteen minutes when I decide to get up and head back for camp. There's little conversation on the way back and no game. When we get into the cave, Vinera doesn't drop the hunting subject.

"So are we going to hunt tonight?"

"If you want to."

"What do you mean? You're the leader," She replies.

"Not anymore. We need to split up."

I'm the only one who hasn't taken off my pack and weapons. They all look at me after I say this, and all have different expressions written on their faces.

"It's the final eight and you all know what needs to happen now." I cross my arms.

"She's right. We need to split." Evan speaks up.

"What about the utensils? Are you just going to keep that bird?" Vinera questions and motions to the bird attached to my belt with her chin.

Taking it off, I hold up to Marina. "You're the one who killed it. Take it."

She looks at me then the dead animal hanging from my hand. She reaches forward and slowly takes it. Her eyes meet mine once more before she goes to put it in her pack.

"As for the utensils, we should just take what we need."

I pick the bag up and look inside. I only take a bowl and spoon. Carrying more than this will slow me down and now that I'm defending myself, I can't have that happen. I'll probably only use this bowl twice before ditching it and deciding to use my hands to hold cooked game.

After the bag is left on the ground, empty, everyone just stands around, looking at each other.

"Well, I'm leaving. When we see each other after leaving this cave, don't expect a conversation." I say and start walking out.

They stop standing like a statue and start to move. Getting their packs, they glance at each other one last time. Marina looks nervous as she watches everyone take their things while the others have a blank look. I'm already out of the camp, heading towards the other section of the arena.

Moving at a fast pace, I don't want anyone to catch up to me. Once we get out of that cave, we are no longer allies, but we're not going to kill each other once we step out. The killing starts when all the careers separate and whoever finds who will have no choice but to try and eliminate each other.

I reach the ravine that we discovered and put my hands over the rope. Taking a deep breath, I don't look down at the lava and walk along. When I reach the other side, I jog towards the Cornucopia. The capacity between the cave and the Cornucopia is the same, but the cave is wider. I step into the golden horn and look around. The crate of canned goods is still open and untouched. I smile. Neither Mina or Marcus trusted this. I look at rope and follow the long line. It stops at the upper corner. I reach up and take the tied spear.

I find the other tied weapons and untie them. Now the trap is harmless, allowing access to all these treasures. I stuff as many canned goods that can fit in my pack and force all the small spears into the sheath. I take the utility knives and long spears, too and walk out of the Cornucopia. Before I leave, I take the rope and tie it to my pack. Now it hangs next to my spears and the only thing I carry by hand are the two long spears.

Since I wasn't able to fit a few canned goods in my pack, I left it for whoever in the alliance remembered that there are still some supplies in our former camp. They can take it as a parting gift from me. If only I could attach a note saying, _Even though we're not allies anymore, it doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore. –Amethine. _I'd do that just to mess with whoever gets it. Most of them will be after me since I have most of the weapons and food, and I really don't care. I'm not scared of any of them. I _want _them to come after me. I haven't killed in a while and I'm getting bored; so is the audience. Maybe I should've given each of them information of my new camp as a parting gift so an epic battle will ensue.

I was a good leader, just like I knew I would be and they're all going to miss having me lead them.

* * *

**The careers finally split. I realized that I've been forgetting to put what day it is in the arena for some chapters. After going back a few chapters, I found which day is what, and it helped me find out what day of the games this chapter is on. The death list is still the same, and in case you forgot, here it is:**

**The fallen:**

**District 3: Electra and Bolton**

**District 5: Augustina**

**District 6: Latteine and Nick**

**District 7: Sequoia and Tanner**

**District 8: Amber and Derek**

**District 9: Terraine**

**District 10: Bonnie and Timothy**

**District 11: Maggie and Feltrix**

**District 12: Calvin**

**The Remaining Tributes:**

**District 1: Amethine and Evan**

**District 2: Vinera and Caiden**

**District 4: Marina and Sebastian**

**District 5: Marcus**

**District 12: Mina**

** Let me know what are your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks for reading (:**


	33. Family Interviews: Part Three

**Hey guys! It feels awesome to not greet you all with a lame author's note, but with a chapter! Yay! Thanks to Sail by Awolnation, I was able to finish the chapter. I'm very sorry for not posting for a long time. Now that it's summer, I can post more (: I'm very excited to continue working on chapters about the games and speaking of the games, the end is near. This is part II of the family interviews. Part III will be the last! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Marina's family**

Estelle coos the fussy baby in her arms. She's too overprotective to leave Lucy back in four with a relative, and she'd rather have her here where she can see her than at home with her worrying every minute.

"Make sure to sing her favorite song when she doesn't want to take her bottle, and-"

"You need to stop worrying. She'll be alright." Bernard stops her and places his hands on her shoulders from behind.

"I know. It's just that I'll be out there for a few minutes and she might need a lot of things."

"And I'll be here to take care of her." Bernard reassures her. He starts to massage her shoulders.

Bernard guesses that Estelle is letting her anxiety lean more on Lucy being taken care of. All of these little things are just the result of her being nervous to get interviewed by the famous Caesar Flickerman about their other and oldest daughter Marina. It doesn't mean that Estelle isn't really protective; she really is. Even if this interview wasn't happening, she'd still be checking on her precious bundle of joy, but it'd be a notch lower than how she is now.

"Time for your interview, miss." A stage hand informs them.

He waits for Estelle. Estelle slowly places Lucy in her husband's arms as if she'd break from any harsh movement and says a few more comforting sentences before looking at Bernard.

"Don't forget about the things I told you." She reminds.

"Yeah, yeah. I got this."

"Mommy is going to be gone for a very, very short time and daddy will be taking care of you. Love you!" she kisses Estelle's chubby cheeks while making a sound that their baby finds funny. Lucy's laughter is music to their ears. Every child's laughter is music to anyone listening. Their innocence and how their eyes light up is what's so refreshing and you can't help but smile. Bernard and Argon are full grown men and they still smile when they hear that sound.

The stage hand politely opens the door for Estelle and gently closes it behind them. If he slammed that door and startled Lucy, her dad would've ripped the door off the wall and hit his face with it.

"Moms are very overprotective."

Bernard faces Argon. "Yeah. Even when Lucy sleeps, Estelle would lay down next to her and look at her."Bernard agrees.

"Estelle's always been sweet when we were young, but when it comes to her girls I know she'll bring out the inner bear in her." He chuckles.

"Oh yeah. But she'd be more of a lion than a bear." Bernard jokes.

Argon's right, Estelle has always been that sweet girl and she still is. Her benevolent nature is what had drawn her husband to her. In their teenage years before he got to know her more, it annoyed Bernard. How can someone be so nice with the Hunger Games going on? Bernard's not a rebel, but he knew for sure that Estelle wasn't a sadist who was thrilled everytime it was time to send in one boy and girl in to compete.

Bernard doesn't feel that Argon is making this up. He and Estelle were good friends in school and still are. Bringing him along with them to talk about Marina feels right since him, Estelle, and Marina all love him. He knew Estelle before Bernard did and they developed a brother and sister type of relationship so when Bernard planned on marrying her, he knew that getting his blessing was important.

"That's even more accurate. No different with us dads, though." Argon points out.

"Not at all. We fight like lions, too." Lucy wraps her tiny arms around her father's thumb and starts to shake it like a rattle. She finds it funny and giggles.

"What's the latest news with everything?" Argon asks.

Bernard doesn't need to ask; he already knows what he's talking about. An update of everything happening so far in the games. Because every family can't leave the Capitol until every family has been interviewed, they can't watch the games. The purpose of the big, flat screen TV in the lounge is for watching the interviews only.

"The kid from nine is out."

"Isn't that the one with Marina's alliance?"

"Yeah. He was crushed to death by rocks." The minute Bernard says this, he tries to prevent the image of the boy being crushed by the enormous boulders. The last sound that left his lips was a scream; a scream of suffering.

"How do you know this?"

"I asked one of the stage hands outside. They got the info." Bernard points in the direction of the stage hands outside.

* * *

_Back straight, chin up. _Estelle reminds herself. _Move gracefully._

She always reminded Marina about her posture and she'll do the same to Bernard and Argon before their interviews. Being in front of all those cameras and people made her nervous and she didn't want to be. It's going to affect her posture. You can't have a straight back and be shaking. They won't go well together.

Estelle was always told that she looks too young to be a mother. Most always thought that she was a teen. Whenever Bernard was present when someone said this, he'd say that she's very kind and barely gets mad and believes that is what gives her a youthful appearance. His wife would blush and thank the person and her husband for the compliment.

She chose the red-orange dress because it swayed right behind her as she walked. It was simple, with the sleeves covering most of her shoulders, but Estelle's beauty and long brown hair made that seem like it didn't matter. The color reminded her of coral and she had no problem with wearing something associated with her district. When she was young, Estelle loved swimming; after all she was from district four. Whenever she had the time, she'd walk to the beach and swam until her mother had sent someone to get her. Swimming is another reason Estelle was excited to wear the red-orange dress.

"Let's bring out the mother of this year's female tribute from district four-Estelle!" Caesar starts his introductory.

Estelle steps into the bright lights and moves toward Caesar gracefully, just like she wanted. She smiles to him, then out at the audience.

"You look beautiful, Estelle!" Caesar says.

"Thank you."

The two of them get comfortable in the chairs. "Marina is such a sweetheart, but you are her mother and you know more, so describe your daughter in five words."

"Marina is sweet, smart, beautiful, compassionate, and tricky."

"It's hard to believe that those words are describing a career." Caesar states. "How do you feel about your daughter being a kind career?"

"I feel that her being kind doesn't change the fact that I still love her. She is who she is."

"That's right. We are who are." Caesar nods.

"Now I hear that Marina has a baby sister?"

"Yes." Estelle smiles proudly.

"How old is she? What's her name? Does she look like her big sister? My, I am asking a lot of questions for an infant." Caesar covers his mouth. The audience laughs lightly.

"Her name is Lucy. She is five months and you don't really see the resemblance at first, but it's there."

"She must be lovely." He presumes.

"Very." Estelle agrees.

"Now that you have two girls, would you like for your next child to be a boy? That is if you want another child."

"I have no plans of having another child soon, but if I do want one, I would like a boy. I always wanted four children; two boys and two girls."

"The half same sex gender mix explains why."

"I'm glad it does. It's nice to have one of everything, or in this case, two of the same gender." Estelle explains.

"I agree! Especially when it comes to food, count me in." Caesar rubs his stomach and sighs, wishing for something delicious to eat right now. Both Estelle and the audience laugh at this.

The sound of the buzzer fills the air and Estelle knows that she needs to stop talking. Caesar offers his hand and helps her stand up. He receives a smile of gratitude.

"Let's hear for Ms. Estelle, the mother of this year's district four female tribute!" Caesar raises his other hand and urges the audience to make noise. They do and Estelle exits the stage.

When Estelle walks into her family's lounge, Bernard says, "And you said you were nervous,"

"I was!"

"Didn't seem like it. Good job." He takes her hand and guides her to sit next to him.

"Thank you. Are you nervous?"

She was occupied with her anxiety that she neglected how her husband was feeling. He was too busy comforting her, and trying to tell her that everything will be fine that he must've forgot that he was up next. Bernard is a little nervous. His anxiety level isn't high due to the short amount of time that his interview would last. It wasn't like he'd sit there for an hour answering questions. Bernard has a calm demeanor most of the time and would get panicky when things go really wrong. When he was worried, that's when everyone else started to worry.

"Sir, we need to get you ready for your cue." It's the same stage hand had that procured Estelle.

Bernard gets out of his seat next to Estelle and walks right behind the stage hand. The stage hand tells him to wait in the spot right behind the curtains shielding those in backstage; the same spot that the other family members waited.

Five minutes later, he hears Caesar Flickerman say, "Please make our next guest feel welcomed. Come on to the stage, Mr. Bernard!"

He walks with in happy, but composed manner. He waves a little at the crowd in front of the stage and shakes Caesar's hand.

"Hi, Bernard!"

"Hello."

"How are you feeling?" Caesar questions.

"Pretty good. I feel famous with all these lights." He leans forward and looks up at all the bright lights shining down on the stage.

"Guess how I feel." Caesar rolls his eyes dramatically.

Bernard chuckles. "How do you feel?" he asks the man who is supposed to be the one with the questions.

"Like an angel." Caesar folds his hands together and brings it up to the side of his face and says this in the tone of a little girl. It makes the audience and Bernard laugh.

"You sir, are the one that should be answering _my _questions."

"Right." Bernard agrees.

"How was Marina as a child?"

"Very hyperactive and sociable. Always made a friend everywhere she went and wasn't afraid to talk to someone."

"That's wonderful! And has that stayed the same?"

"No. It's the opposite; she is shy now." Bernard admits.

"Things have taken a turn."

"Yes they have."

"Did you go through the same thing?" Caesar asks.

"I think so. I don't really remember. Honestly, childhood memories are such a blur."

"No kidding. Have you ever tried so hard to remember that your head hurts?" Caesar questions eagerly and when Bernard gives him a confused look, Caesar's face is covered in disappointment."Neither do I." he attempts to shake it off. The crowd laughs at his effort.

"Did you have any advice for your daughter before she left her district?" Caesar switches the topic.

"Yes." Bernard nods.

"What was your advice?"

"I told her to keep her head up. If she believes that she can do it, then she will."

"That is a piece of good advice." Caesar acclaims the tribute's father.

"Thank you."

"Did Marina play with her baby sister a lot?"

"Yes she did. A lot. When I say 'a lot' I am not joking. Every spare time she got, she'd spend time with Lucy. It's always been wonderful to watch." Bernard smiles at the vision.

"I bet it was. Now, this will be your last question since your time is almost up. What would your reaction be if Marina fell in love with someone in the games?"

"I'd be upset. It'd affect her wish to win and that'll defeat the whole purpose of her being there." Bernard says candidly.

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Let us thank Mr. Bernard for answering my questions!" Caesar exclaims. Bernard stands as the audience applauses and shakes Caesar's hand for the last time.

"Argon, you're up," Bernard gets comfortable on the furniture. "Are you nervous?"

"No, this'll be easy. I won't be shaking backstage like you." He teases.

Bernard laughs. "Good one."

Not long after does the stage hand arrive to fetch Argon. Argon is staying true to his word, not being nervous. He was calm on the inside and out and when Caesar calls him to the stage, he couldn't wait to get the show on the road.

Caesar asks the first question when they are both seated. "How close were you and Marina?"

"I can say pretty close. She considered me her uncle and we went on these crazy adventures when she was just a little girl."

"How did these adventures take place?"

"Everything was based on her imagination. We built a castle with blankets and pillows in her living room. We'd usually have these adventures when her parents needed to do something and asked me to watch over her."

"It must shocking to see her all grown up with no time for that, huh?" Caesar straightens his back.

"I've accepted the fact that she's a big girl and has interest in other things, but at times I do miss it. She was like a daughter to me and still is. I'm proud of her and I respect her decisions."

Caesar wipes an imaginary tear from his eye. "That was touching." Argon and the audience laugh.

"Have you ever covered Marina? Meaning that you helped her get away with something."

Argon leans forward and whispers –although not too quiet- in Caesar's ear. "Bernard is watching, isn't he?"

Caesar decides to play along and whispers in the same volume, "I'm pretty sure he is."

The audience is dying with laughter, loving how they're both joking around.

"Well in that case, yes." Argon says. His tone is not serious. He respects Bernard being his friend and the father of Marina, and it will be disrespectful if he didn't really care about admitting it.

"Really? Do tell!" Caesar urges.

"One time when Marina was about nine, she wanted a candy marshmallow from the sweet shop, but her father said no as a punishment for not behaving at school. She had this sad look that broke my heart and when Bernard left the house to borrow something from a neighbor and Estelle was sewing in her room, I darted out of there and got the candy marshmallow." Argon recounts.

"How did you both hide this from Bernard?"

"I told Marina to eat it in her room."

"And what was your backup plan if her mother or father were to go inside?" Caesar inquires.

"I'd call them and pretend that I needed their help before they have the chance to touch the doorknob."

"Clever! You should cover for me when I get into trouble." Caesar jokes.

"Maybe. What would my reward be?"

"A lifetime supply of my love." Caesar chuckles and lightly nudges Argon's shoulder with his fist. Laughter emerges from the audience and Argon.

"Fair enough." Argon says happily and hugs Caesar. Caesar laughs and hugs him back. There is a mixture of laughter and clapping heard from the audience.

"We have room for one last question. Please don't cry when you have to leave." Caesar pouts and pats Argon's shoulder.

A smile spreads across Argon's face. It's a big smile. The one that you wear when you're about to laugh. He nods.

"What will you do to celebrate Marina's arrival is she wins?"

"I got that one in the bag. I am going to throw a sweet-tooth party. All the food will consist of candies only. I know her eyes will bug out of her head when she sees the table full of sweets."

"And I certainly know what _I _will do." Caesar's eyes go big and a dreadful expression is on his face.

"What would you do?" Argon questions.

"I'd attack everything covered in sugar. I'll end up with a stained suit afterwards." He runs a finger over the edge of his jacket.

"Let us thank our very funny guest Argon!" Caesar lifts both his hands in the air and the audience does just what he asked.

"Thank you." Caesar shakes Argon's hand with one hand and pats his back with the other.

"Thank you as well." Argon responds.

When Marina knew that she couldn't bring herself to tell her parents certain things, she sought advice from her uncle Argon. He didn't judge her, and when he needed to listen, he listened and when he was needed to speak and comment, he did so. Argon didn't live with them, but he was always there when his niece needed him. Ever since she was a little girl, Marina always told her uncle what was on her mind and nothing has changed. Especially with her parent's focused more on the new edition of the family, uncle Argon was there.

"There you go again winning strangers over with your humor." Bernard says when Argon comes back from his interview.

"Must be why I have more friends than you." Argon teases. Sitting besides her husband, Estelle giggles.

"I was going to say Estelle disagrees, but it looks like she does in fact agree." Bernard looks at his wife.

"I'm not saying I agree. I just laughed, Bernard." Estelle cradles the tired Lucy in her arms and looks right back at her husband. Standing her ground.

"So I have more friends than Argon, right?" Bernard asks, hoping she says yes. Whenever Bernard and Argon got competitive, Estelle and Marina were to determine who the better one is.

"I'd say that you both have the same amount of friends."

"But who has just one more than the other?" Bernard doesn't give up.

Estelle sighs. This whole thing is starting to irk her. The most part being that Lucy is on the verge of falling asleep and with all the talking, she might not rest.

She thought of something to say that'll shut the whole conversation down. An evil smile grows on her lips. Argon and Bernard wait for her answer.

"Neither of you. I have the most friends."

* * *

**Sebastian's family**

Most of the fathers here have their wives accompanying them. They get to clutch the hand of their significant other when they get nervous about being questioned. Unfortunately for Christopher, his wife could not be with them. With Christopher are his parents who he is grateful to have with him. His mother knew that this would not be easy since this is something that both a mother and father need to go through _together _and is sitting right by her boy's side with her husband.

Christopher is glad that his mother and father are here with him. If they didn't come, he'd be alone. There would be no one to talk to, especially since he has no other children.

"You look just as stunning as your father did when he wore that." His mother, Annabelle, smiles.

Annabelle was the one who made sure everyone looked spick and span. For herself, it is a teal blue floral dress with a black hem and waistband. The sleeves would dance whenever there was active movement and it felt soft against her shoulders. She picked a dark blue suit for her husband Henry and his old cream one for their son.

"Thank you." He responds.

His father doesn't say anything. He's nervous for his son. Annabelle tries to keep a positive atmosphere going by not letting silence take over.

"I wish that they had left recipes on how to make all of this." She laughs and looks at all the appetizing desserts left for them on the long table.

"Christopher, you should ask one of those stage hands out there if we can take some of this home." She waves towards the door.

"Do I really have to?" Chris does all he can to not sound rude.

He's not ready to get on stage, he's scared that his words will slip, and his actions might not do a lot to win his son sponsors. Now was not the time to ask someone if they can bring the desserts back to district four.

"Yes you do." Annabelle has sliced herself a piece of custard pie.

"Do you want some, dear?" Annabelle asks her husband right before Christopher steps out of the family lounge.

"I'm fine." Henry turns and shakes his head.

"It'll clam your nerves." She enticingly waves it in a circular motion.

"Okay." Henry says. He can't argue with that.

* * *

"Excuse me," Christopher grabs the attention of a female stage hand walking by.

"How can I help you?" She says quickly, like she needs to be somewhere else.

"My mother is wondering if we can take some of the food from our lounge home."

Before the stage hand can say something, another stage hand, this one a male, comes walking towards Christopher.

"You're up, sir." He guides Christopher to the curtains and has him stand right behind them.

This is where Christopher gets into panic mode. He's not sure if he's personality will win the audience over and if he's so boring that someone in the audience throws something at him, that won't be good for both him and Sebastian.

"The next person coming up to the stage is the father of our district four male tribute, Sebastian! Sadly, his mother is not here, but Mr. Christopher will make her proud. Come out, Mr. Christopher!"

He's not sure if it's clear that he's nervous, but he's hoping that he's not making it that obvious. When they see you sweat, it'll make you look awkward and no audience likes an awkward lad. Someone who is open and not afraid to answer whatever question you ask is always loved by the crowd. Christopher is hoping that he can be that person for the sake of Sebastian's sponsorship.

"How are you doing, Henry!" Caesar reaches out for a handshake. Christopher takes it and shakes it firmly.

"I am doing okay." Henry conveys being relaxed by reclining in his chair.

"Sebastian is a good kid and I know that everyone in your household misses him. How does everyone deal with him not being around everyday?"

Christopher clears his throat to prevent his words from coming out hoarsely. "I deal with it by continuing on with my daily routines and always watch what's happening on screen. My mother keeps herself busy by making plenty of desserts and my father makes sure that everything in the house is not broken and repairs those that are. We all have a different ways of dealing with his absence." Christopher answers.

"That's right," Caesar agrees with Christopher's last sentence. "After what you have said about your mother making desserts, I envy you. You must really enjoy that!"

"I'm not going to lie. I do love it."Christopher says and makes eye contact with a camera located in front of him. "Thank you, mom." He says and gives two thumbs up with a big smile.

Caesar chortles, then his facial expression changes to a more stern one. "Are you trying to rub it in my face?" His tone matches his expression.

"No I am not." Christopher says innocently. He is quite surprised with how the always-cheerful host is acting.

"Good." Caesar changes back to his old self. The audience and Christopher share the laughter.

"I was just playing around." Caesar gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Now you say that your mother makes desserts to deal with Sebastian, her grandson, not being present."

"Yes." Christopher concurs.

"Before Sebastian went into the games, did he enjoy these treats?"

"Yes. Very much, but he couldn't eat a lot because he had to keep in shape to prepare himself for the Hunger Games."

"Ofcourse. Everyone knows that a very overweight career tribute won't be able to make far into the games." Caesar states.

"That's enough of your mother, who should be very flattered that I keep bringing her up-" he stops to playfully wink at the camera. "How does your son cope with his mother's death?"

_Sebastian would love to hear this. _Christopher thinks. "He doesn't really like to talk about it much and I, as well as his grandparents, respect that. Though, I know that it won't good for him to keep it all in forever." He states.

"No it won't. Maybe he'll talk about it when he's ready." Caesar suggests.

Sansa was a great mother and wife. She took care of her family and made sure that everyone was happy even if it meant sacrificing her own joy. Christopher and Sansa's marriage was arranged by their parents. Arranged marriages were common at the time and Sansa and Christopher were chosen for each due to the beliefs that both of the parents shared. The couple was happy with their parent's choice. They knew each other prior to their parents looking for the perfect bride/groom.

Into the second year that his name was placed in the reaping bowl, Sansa died of cancer. At that point all her hair had fallen out and the once youthful and jolly woman looked like an old lady. Even though smiling took effort, Sansa still had one on her face. Sansa is sweet, but adamant with the choices she makes. She stood her ground, which was a favorite trait of Christopher's.

When she died, Christopher and Sebastian grieved the same way: Not talking about it. It was Annabelle who told Christopher that he needed to open up and try to talk to his son. He did, but Sebastian never did. It's Christopher's dream for his son to find a girl who can make him talk about it.

"Will it matter if he finally talks about it with someone else?"

"No. As long as he gets it out, I'm fine with it. All I want is for him to not harbor those emotions for the rest of his life."

Christopher is very sure that his son will talk about his mother's death with someone else. He doesn't want his father to see him weak since men don't usually talk about their feelings, especially with another man. Coming from a career district, that will just make them look bad.

"You are right. That's a lesson all parents should learn." Caesar praises. "I, and the audience, would like to thank you for answering my questions. One more time-let's hear it for Mr. Christopher, father of district four tribute Sebastian!"

A round of applause fills the air as Christopher walks towards the backstage area. He feels very relieved that all of that is over with. He thinks he did a pretty good job out there. Sansa would've been very proud of him.

He enters his lounge to find his mother standing and cheering, "That's my Chris!" and his father smiling and laughing while clapping. This is a perfect explanation as to why Chris shouldn't dwell on his wife's death. He still has a family. His parents will always be there for him and he will always be there for his son.

"I don't see why you were nervous," Annabelle says to her son when she sees him. She gives him a hug.

Henry's affection is mild, being just a pat on the shoulder. It's always been like that. Ever since a young age, Chris has been told that men do not express their feelings. That has always been 'something for the girls only'.

"Are you excited, mom?" Chris asks.

"I think so. You both know that I'm not good with large crowds."

What's worse is that the crowd in out there is larger than any Annabelle has stood in front of. Her son has made it look easy, and that slightly calms her.

A stage hand enters the lounge and has Annabelle follow him to get ready for her cue. Standing and waiting, Annabelle folds her hands together. She rubs the thumb of her right hand to against the surface of her left hand. She sees through a tiny gap in the curtain the bright light from above shining on the stage floor.

"Coming out after Christopher is his mother Annabelle! Let's greet Sebastian's grandmother politely!" Caesar tells the crowd and they do as told.

Annabelle kindly waves to the audience. She already looks like a kind and loving grandmother, and if her interview goes great, she will win sponsors for her grandson.

"Are you sure you're Sebastian's grandmother?" Caesar questions when she's in a close range and takes her hand.

"Yes, why do you ask that?" Annabelle is thinking that Caesar does not see the resemblance in her and Chris.

"Why, because you look too young to be a grandma." Caesar compliments. Most people in the audience go, 'Aww', remarking how sweet that was. Annabelle giggles like a teenager and motions with her hand for Caesar to stop.

Both get in their seats and Caesar asks, "Were you close with Sebastian when he was young?"

"A big yes!" Annabelle says. Caesar laughs at her swift answer.

"What did you like to do with grandson?"

"I loved making him eat. He was the chubbiest little boy I've ever seen." She recalls and this makes the crowd laugh. "Chris would tell me to slow down with the food, and I would, but continue a little after."

"As he got older, did you still make him eat a lot?"

"Sadly, no. As much as I wanted to feed him more, Chris respectfully drew the line and said that instead of giving him his favorites-chocolate chip cookies and croissants, I should cut up fruits for him. I agreed and I'm happy that my boy was okay with the change. Now he has big muscles, and the girls want him. I'm not too happy about the second part, all the girls after Sebastian better know that they're not going to stand in between me and my little baby." She states.

"Wow. Though you look very sweet, you know how to be firm." Caesar comments. He then looks at the camera. "And did you hear what she said? To all you Sebastian lovers: You must win Ms. Annabelle over first." He says.

Annabelle nods in agreement and turns to camera, too. "That's right."

"If your grandson is crowned victor, will you continue making sweet treats for him?"

"I will never stop making treats for my boy, but I will have to watch how much I make or his appearance will be affected. No one will like a handsome, but fat victor, right?" she directs the questions to Caesar.

"Very true. I have one last question for you, Annabelle. Are you ready?"

"Yes I am. And may I say how fast this interview is!" she exclaims. The audience laughs.

"I know. When you return to your lounge, don't miss me too much." Caesar jokes. Annabelle sniggers. "If Sebastian wins, and he has you move with him into Victor's village, will you take advantage of the kitchen?"

"You best believe I will." She smiles proudly with her teeth.

Laughing, Caesar takes her hand and has her stand up. "Let's give it up for Ms. Annabelle, grandmother of Sebastian!" The crowd claps for her, most loving her personality.

Annabelle declines the assistance of a stage hand and walks by herself to her family's lounge. She doesn't say anything when she goes inside due to knowing what her husband will say. But the success of her interview doesn't keep the smile off of her face.

"And you doubted yourself." Her husband smiles.

"I was for sure that the words weren't going to come out right." She defends.

"After watching it, I'm positive nothing went wrong." Henry rubs her shoulder. "It's my turn." He nods towards the stage hand waiting for him at the door.

"I know you will do good." Annabelle waves at her husband. Sebastian smiles at his father.

Henry trails behind the stage hand, but is distracted by the busy scene. He stops and watches everyone. He's certain that he is the only person that's not moving around so much in the sea of fast pace moving stage hands. He is focus returns when the stage hand leading him tugs on his sleeve.

"The last member of Sebastian's family that will be interviewed is his grandfather. Give it up for Mr. Henry!" Caesar introduces.

While his wife chose to wave, Henry settles with a smile. He raises his hand at the audience, acknowledging their applause.

"How are you doing, Mr. Caesar?" Henry shakes his hand.

"Fantastic. Please, just call me Caesar." Caesar non-forcedly insists.

The two men take their seats and Caesar starts a conversation. "While talking with your wife, she told me that she really enjoyed feeding Sebastian while he was a youngster. Can you tell us what you liked to do with Sebastian?"

"I liked doing two things with him: Playing sport with him to help lose the weight that Annabelle puts on with all the sweets, and catching fish. The reason why I'm not saying 'fishing' is because Sebastian was fond of keeping fish as his pet as his was with eating them." Henry explains.

"So catching fish for Sebastian to keep and fishing were done on different occasions, I'm assuming?" Caesar inquires.

"No, they can happen on the same day at the same time. Like every children from four, he loves spending time at the dock and the beach."

"I don't doubt that one bit. Did he like keeping more than one?"

"No. He preferred one. He said that if he caught more than one as his pet, than there wouldn't be a lot for the family to eat." Henry smiles at the memory.

Caesar chuckles. "That's one selfless boy you have." He points at Henry.

Henry nods his agreement. "Yep. I'm very proud of him"

"Opposing to Ms. Annabelle, you wanted to keep him in shape?"

"Yeah, and we both though that it was a good balance. He'd run around an hour after he ate chocolate cake."

"You should help me with balance because I only focus on the chocolate cake part." Says Caesar. The audience laughs.

"Don't worry. That suit will turn the attention away."

"That's true. Never mind; that means more chocolate cake for me." Caesar fist pumps.

"You enjoy your chocolate cake while you still can. You keep enjoying yourself, and then next thing you know you can't reach your plate of chocolate cake." Henry says honestly.

Caesar laughs along with the audience. "I fear that. I hope my assistant will remind to stay in shape."

"When your grandson wins, what are some things that you would like to do with him?"

"I'd like for us to play sports just like we did when he was younger and he is not cocky, but I know in his mind he's confident that he'll beat me and I'm going to prove him wrong." Henry states in a firm, but playful tone.

The host laughs. "I bet the media would love to see that."

Henry's brows furrow. "Media? As in people with big cameras who are eager for one photo?"

"Not just one photo. They love to take a bunch. I know because I'm their favorite person to snap a picture of." Caesar looks at the audience and runs his fingers down his jacket. They laugh in response.

"How do you feel of the thought that you will have to deal with all the cameras when Sebastian wins?"

"I'm not looking forward to any of it. It's because the flash annoys me. Especially if it happens out of nowhere, I'll kind of be surprised then me feeling surprised will turn to exasperation. I bet Annabelle will love it. She'd smile her head off." Henry says.

Caesar chortles. "I can imagine her doing that. I think she'd also force you to smile with her, right?"

"Absolutely." Henry agrees.

"It's been great talking with you, Mr. Henry. Make some noise for Mr. Henry, grandfather of Sebastian, district four male tribute!"

"Now we can all sit down and relax and watch other people's interviews." Annabelle says happily when Henry steps in.

The two men agree and sit on the couch with her. Christopher needs his son to win. He has people cheering for him at home. They're waiting for him to return. When he does return, he'll get to be with his family. The family not being complete does not matter at all.

* * *

**Again, sorry for the VERY long wait. Don't forget to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading (:**


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